IELTS or TOEFL? The differences section by section
Both exams test the four skills, but the tasks, timings and the Speaking format differ. A section-by-section comparison.
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IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT are the two English tests that university applicants take most often. Both test the four skills; they differ in their tasks, their timings and, above all, in how Speaking works.
Listening
IELTS: 4 parts, 40 questions, from everyday conversations to an academic lecture. About 30 minutes.
TOEFL: the Listen and Choose a Response task, conversations, announcements and academic talks.
Reading
IELTS: 3 academic texts, 40 questions, 60 minutes.
TOEFL: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage.
Writing
IELTS: in Task 1 you describe a graph or table, in Task 2 you write an essay. 60 minutes in total.
TOEFL: Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion.
Speaking
IELTS: 3 parts, a face-to-face interview with an examiner, 11–14 minutes.
TOEFL: Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview, recorded on the computer.
Scoring
IELTS gives a 0–9 band score. Since 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT uses a 1–6 scale. In both exams the overall score is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half point.
Which one should you take?
Start with one question: which test does your programme accept, and what score does it ask for? If it accepts both, look at the task types. If you prefer talking to a person, the IELTS Speaking test may suit you; if you are comfortable with short, quick tasks on a computer, TOEFL may feel closer. Try practice tests for both in the app.
Practice tests in your exam's format, generated at your level.