|
IELTS (Academic) |
TOEFL (iBT) |
Owned by: |
British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment |
ETS |
Test delivery format: |
Paper-based |
Computer-based |
Cost: |
- Varies by country |
Varies by country between $165-$300, with most countries under $200 |
- In the U.S., the test costs $215-$245 |
Length: |
2 hours and 45 minutes |
4 hours |
Test sections |
- Listening: 30 minutes |
- Reading: 60-80 minutes |
(in order): |
- Reading: 60 minutes |
- Listening: 60-90 minutes |
|
- Writing: 60 minutes |
- Speaking: 20 minutes |
|
- Speaking: 11-14 minutes (section can also be taken before the other three sections) |
- Writing: 50 minutes |
Speaking section format: |
In-person with an examiner |
Computer-based (students speak into a headset microphone) |
Breaks: |
No breaks during the listening, reading and writing sections, but the speaking portion can be taken up to a week before or after the rest of the test |
10-minute break between listening and speaking sections |
Accents test-takers might hear: |
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. |
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. |
Where the test is offered: |
More than 1,100 locations in some 140 countries worldwide |
Offered around the world, though ETS couldn't provide an exact count of test sites |
How frequently the test is offered: |
48 test dates per year |
More than 50 test dates per year |
Where scores are accepted: |
Accepted by more than 9,000 organizations globally, including around 3,000 U.S. institutions (see test website for searchable list) |
Accepted by more than 10,000 organizations globally, including more than 5,000 U.S. institutions (see test website for searchable list) |
Results timeline: |
Results are issued 13 days after the test |
Results are issued approximately 10 days after the test |
Scoring scale: |
zero to 9 |
zero to 120 |
Average minimum score required by ranked National Universities (fall 2015): |
6.3 |
78 |
Average minimum score required by ranked National Liberal Arts Colleges (fall 2015): |
6.5 |
82.2 |