Both IELTS and TOEFL are widely accepted English proficiency tests that can open doors to universities, employers, and immigration pathways. But they're not identical, and choosing the wrong one for your situation can create unnecessary complications.
This guide reflects the current 2026 formats for both tests, including the TOEFL iBT redesign that took effect on January 21, 2026: new task types in every section, adaptive Reading and Listening, and a 1-6 score scale. For a full breakdown of the new TOEFL with sample questions, see the guide to the new TOEFL format.
What Are IELTS and TOEFL?
What is IELTS?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) offers two variants: Academic (for university admission and professional registration) and General Training (for immigration and vocational purposes). It's administered by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge Assessment English, and is accepted by over 11,500 institutions in 140+ countries.
What is TOEFL?
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) is administered by ETS and focuses exclusively on academic English. It's accepted by over 13,000 institutions in 160+ countries. ETS redesigned the test in January 2026: the current format takes approximately 1.5 hours, down from just under 2 hours in the 2023 version and 3+ hours before that.
Format Comparison - 2026
Total Duration
| IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | ~2 hours 45 minutes | ~1.5 hours |
TOEFL is now more than an hour shorter than IELTS, a relevant factor if test-day stamina is a concern.
Reading
| Feature | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Texts | 3 long passages | Short everyday texts and short academic passages (up to about 200 words) |
| Task types | Matching, True/False/Not Given, completion, multiple choice | Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage |
| Questions | 40 questions | 50 items |
| Time | 60 minutes | About 30 minutes |
| Score | 0-9 | 1-6 |
| Format | Paper or computer | Computer only; adaptive (two stages) |
Listening
| Feature | IELTS | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Audio clips | 4 sections (2 monologues + 2 conversations) | Short exchanges, conversations, announcements and academic talks |
| Task types | Completion, matching, multiple choice, map labelling | Listen and Choose a Response, Listen to a Conversation, Listen to an Announcement, Listen to an Academic Talk |
| Questions | 40 questions | 47 items |
| Time | 30 minutes | About 29 minutes |
| Score | 0-9 | 1-6 |
| Replay audio | No | No |
| Adaptive | No | Yes (two stages) |
Speaking
| Feature | IELTS | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Face-to-face interview with an examiner | Recorded responses on a computer |
| Tasks | 3 parts (intro, long turn, discussion) | Listen and Repeat (7 sentences) and Take an Interview (4 questions) |
| Preparation time | 1 minute before the long turn | None |
| Duration | 11-14 minutes | About 8 minutes |
| Score | 0-9 | 1-6 |
This is the biggest practical difference between the two tests. Many students find the face-to-face IELTS speaking more natural; others prefer the short, timed TOEFL format with no human evaluator present. Note that the old TOEFL independent and integrated speaking tasks were removed in January 2026.
Writing
| Feature | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks | Task 1: describe a graph/chart/diagram (20 min, 150 words min); Task 2: opinion/discussion essay (40 min, 250 words min) | Build a Sentence (10 questions); Write an Email (about 7 min); Write for an Academic Discussion (about 10 min) |
| Total time | 60 minutes | About 23 minutes |
| Score | 0-9 | 1-6 |
TOEFL Writing no longer has an essay or the integrated read-listen-write task. In Build a Sentence you arrange words into a correct sentence, in Write an Email you respond to a short situation, and in Write for an Academic Discussion you are given a professor's prompt and two students' responses and add your own contribution.
Scoring Systems
| IELTS | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Score scale | 0-9 (in 0.5 increments) | 1-6 (in 0.5 increments) |
| Per section | 0-9 | 1-6 |
| "Good" score | 7.0+ | 5.0+ (roughly 95+ on the old 0-120 scale) |
| Typical university minimum | 6.0-7.0 | 4.0-5.0 (roughly 80-100 on the old scale) |
Both tests score each of the four skills separately, and in both the overall score is now the average of the four section scores. Until January 2028, TOEFL score reports also show a comparable score on the old 0-120 scale, which many universities still use in their published requirements. See the TOEFL score chart for the full conversion, including ETS's comparison with IELTS bands.
Where Are They Accepted?
IELTS
- 140+ countries, 11,500+ universities globally
- Standard for UK, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand immigration
- Recognised by professional licensing bodies, medicine, nursing, law, engineering
- Accepted by most US universities in addition to TOEFL
TOEFL
- 160+ countries, 13,000+ institutions globally
- Preferred by many US colleges and universities
- Accepted for most scholarship applications
- Less commonly accepted for immigration purposes outside the US
Key Statistics
| IELTS | TOEFL | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual test-takers | 3.5 million+ | 2.5 million+ |
| Countries accepted | 140+ | 160+ |
| Institutions accepted | 11,500+ | 13,000+ |
| Average score | 6.5-7.0 (Academic) | About 4.4 (roughly 86 on the old scale) |
Why Choose IELTS?
- Face-to-face speaking: if you communicate better with a real person than into a microphone, IELTS suits your style
- Immigration pathways: the standard test for UK, Australian, and Canadian visa applications
- Paper option available: for those who prefer writing by hand over typing
- Global employer acceptance: widely recognised for professional purposes beyond just university admission
- Half-band scoring: increments of 0.5 allow more granular improvement tracking
Why Choose TOEFL?
- Shorter test: ~1.5 hours vs. ~2 hours 45 minutes for IELTS
- US university preference: the most commonly specified test at American institutions
- Fully standardised: all responses are recorded and scored consistently; no variation based on the examiner's mood
- MyBest Scores: ETS automatically reports your highest section scores across all valid attempts (superscoring)
- No face-to-face pressure: speaking into a microphone alone works better for some students
How to Decide
Choose IELTS if:
- You're applying to universities or immigration programmes in the UK, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand
- You perform better speaking to a real person
- Your target institutions require or strongly prefer IELTS
- You want a test that's useful for both academic and professional/immigration purposes
Choose TOEFL if:
- You're targeting universities in the United States
- You prefer a structured, fully computer-based format
- You want a shorter test day
- You like the security of recorded (not live-evaluated) speaking
- Your target institutions specify TOEFL
When both are accepted:
Check whether your target institution has a score preference: some universities list a preferred TOEFL score and an IELTS equivalent. Pick the test where your current level is stronger, since both are widely accepted and neither gives a meaningful admissions advantage over the other.
Preparation Tips That Apply to Both
Practise under timed conditions from day one. The single biggest mistake students make is preparing without using a timer. Test-day pressure feels completely different from untimed practice.
Get specific feedback on Speaking and Writing. These are the two sections where most score improvement happens, and the two hardest to self-assess. Use AI tools or tutors who can tell you specifically what to fix, not just that something needs improvement.
Don't switch tests late in your preparation. The formats are different enough that switching two weeks before your exam date will hurt more than it helps. Commit to one and practise it specifically.
Whichever test you choose, consistent practice with feedback is the fastest path to your target score.
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