For Indonesian students, the choice between IELTS and TOEFL is almost entirely destination-driven — and for most Indonesians, the most popular destinations point clearly toward IELTS. Here's how to decide, with full context on test centres across Indonesia, LPDP's requirements, and what Indonesian learners should know about each format.
Quick Answer by Destination
| Destination | Test to Take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | IELTS Academic (or PTE Academic) | Standard for Australian universities and student visa; PTE also widely accepted |
| United Kingdom | IELTS UKVI Academic | University admission + UK student visa SELT requirement in one sitting |
| Netherlands | IELTS Academic | StuNed and most Dutch universities specify IELTS |
| Germany (English master's) | IELTS or TOEFL (both accepted) | German universities accept both; IELTS more commonly listed |
| United States | TOEFL (preferred) | Standard for US graduate admissions; Fulbright Indonesia also references TOEFL |
| Japan (English programmes) | IELTS or TOEFL | Both accepted; IELTS slightly more common |
| LPDP Scholarship | IELTS or TOEFL | Both accepted; IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL ~band 4.5 (legacy 90) |
| Australia Awards | IELTS Academic | Specifically referenced; PTE may be accepted — verify current policy |
| StuNed (Netherlands) | IELTS Academic | StuNed application specifically references IELTS |
| Chevening (UK) | IELTS Academic 6.5+ | Chevening specifies IELTS; IELTS UKVI for visa |
| Fulbright Indonesia (USA) | TOEFL (preferred) | US scholarship context; TOEFL standard |
Bottom line for most Indonesian students: Take IELTS — specifically IELTS UKVI Academic if you're applying to the UK, or IELTS Academic for Australia, Netherlands, and Europe. TOEFL is the right test only if your applications are primarily US-focused.
Test Availability in Indonesia
IELTS in Indonesia
IELTS is available across Indonesia through the British Council and IDP:
| City | Provider |
|---|---|
| Jakarta | British Council, IDP — multiple test centres, very frequent dates |
| Surabaya | British Council, IDP |
| Bandung | British Council, IDP |
| Bali (Denpasar) | British Council, IDP |
| Medan | British Council, IDP |
| Yogyakarta | British Council, IDP |
| Makassar | British Council, IDP |
| Semarang | IDP |
| Palembang | IDP |
- Register at britishcouncil.id or ielts.idp.com
- Paper-based and computer-delivered options available
- Fee: approximately IDR 3,100,000–3,500,000 (check current rates)
- Results: ~13 days (paper); 3–5 days (computer)
TOEFL in Indonesia
TOEFL iBT is available through ETS Prometric test centres:
| City | Availability |
|---|---|
| Jakarta | Multiple Prometric centres — frequent dates |
| Surabaya | Prometric centre |
| Bandung | Prometric centre |
| Denpasar (Bali) | Prometric centre |
| Medan | Prometric centre |
- Register at ets.org/toefl
- TOEFL Home Edition: Available to Indonesian students — same format, same scoring, same acceptance, taken from home with remote proctoring. Useful if your nearest Prometric centre has limited availability
- Fee: USD 185–205
Scoring Comparison
IELTS Academic
- Band 1.0–9.0, 0.5 increments
- Overall = average of four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)
- Speaking: face-to-face with human examiner (11–14 minutes)
- Writing Task 1: describe a graph, chart, diagram, or process (150 words); Task 2: academic essay (250 words)
TOEFL iBT (2026 Format)
- 1.0–6.0 scale per section; overall = average of four sections
- Legacy 0–120 equivalent shown on reports through 2028 (~legacy ÷ 20 = 2026 band)
- Speaking: no human examiner — recorded responses; Listen and Repeat + Take an Interview (no prep time for either)
- Writing: Build a Sentence (word order) + Write an Email (7 min) + Write for an Academic Discussion (10 min, 100–130 words)
- Reading and Listening are adaptive
Approximate Conversion
| IELTS | TOEFL 2026 Band | TOEFL Legacy |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 3.0–3.5 | 60–69 |
| 5.5 | 3.5–4.0 | 70–79 |
| 6.0 | 4.0–4.5 | 80–89 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 90–99 |
| 7.0 | 5.0 | 100–109 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 110–119 |
PTE Academic: A Third Option for Australia-Bound Indonesians
For Indonesian students heading to Australia specifically, PTE Academic is a widely accepted alternative to IELTS:
| Feature | PTE Academic | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Results | 48–72 hours | 3–5 days (computer); ~13 days (paper) |
| Speaking | Recorded — no human examiner | Face-to-face with examiner |
| Accepted for Australia student visa | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Accepted for Australia Awards | ✅ Check current policy | ✅ Yes |
| Accepted for LPDP | Check LPDP current list | ✅ Yes |
| Accepted for UK visa | ✅ PTE Academic UKVI version | ✅ IELTS UKVI Academic |
| Available in Indonesia | Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Bali, Medan | Wide network |
| Fee | Similar to IELTS | Similar to IELTS |
PTE Academic's key advantage is faster results — useful for tight application deadlines. If all your target universities and scholarships accept PTE, it is a practical alternative. However, LPDP's current accepted test list should be verified directly — IELTS is universally on the list; PTE acceptance can vary by LPDP batch.
Indonesian-Specific Preparation Notes
Grammar Challenges (Bahasa Indonesia → English)
Bahasa Indonesia lacks several key features of English grammar that cost marks on both tests:
| Challenge | Detail |
|---|---|
| Articles (a/an/the) | Bahasa Indonesia has no grammatical articles — article errors are the most frequent grammar mistake for Indonesian speakers in IELTS Writing and TOEFL Academic Discussion |
| Subject-verb agreement | Bahasa Indonesia verbs do not conjugate for person — "he go," "she have" type errors are common |
| Verb tenses | Indonesian uses time adverbs rather than tense changes (sudah = already/have; akan = will; kemarin = yesterday). English tense system requires explicit marking |
| Plural marking | Indonesian plurals are marked by reduplication (buku-buku = books) or context — regular English -s/-es marking is missed |
| Relative clauses | Indonesian relative clause structure differs significantly — "the man who came" vs Indonesian word order |
Vocabulary
English shares very few words with Bahasa Indonesia (some borrowings from Dutch: polisi/police, kantor/kantoor, gratis). Academic English vocabulary is largely Latin/Greek-derived — systematic study of the Academic Word List (AWL) is essential for both IELTS and TOEFL Academic reading tasks.
Speaking
Indonesian students often speak English with accurate grammar but limited fluency — pausing frequently to translate internally rather than thinking directly in English. Both IELTS Speaking (fluency and coherence criterion) and TOEFL Take an Interview (which has no preparation time) reward direct, continuous speech over accurate-but-slow responses.
Which Test Prepares You Better for Academic Study?
Neither test is designed as academic preparation — both test English proficiency. However, in terms of real-world alignment:
- IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (graph description) and Task 2 (essay) are formats used in university coursework
- TOEFL Write for an Academic Discussion (100–130 words, engage with two classmates by name) mirrors online discussion boards common in US/Australian online courses
- IELTS Reading (long academic passages) mirrors the reading demands of Western academic programmes more closely than TOEFL's shorter passages
For Indonesian students heading to Australian or UK universities, IELTS writing practice provides useful transfer to the writing tasks they'll face in those programmes.
Prepare for IELTS with Gabble — AI-powered Speaking and Writing practice with instant band scores. Practice IELTS Task 1 graph descriptions and Task 2 essays with feedback on the exact criteria examiners use — so you know what's holding you back before test day.