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Many students are confused, if they should appear for IELTS or TOEFL when they are planning to study abroad. We decided to look into the comparison of the two tests and discuss criteria for deciding which is appropriate for them individually. This also serves as frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the candidates who wish to appear for the exam.
| Criterion | IELTS | TOEFL |
| Full name | International English Language Test System | Test of English as a Foreign Language |
| Who conducts them? | British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment | Educational Testing Services (ETS), USA |
| What is the syllabus? | No, there is no syllabus. It is English Proficiency test. | No, there is no syllabus. It is English Proficiency test. |
| What is the format? | There are two versions · IELTS Academic · IELTS General Both have 4 Sections · Listening · Speaking · Reading · Writing | 4 Sections · Listening · Speaking · Reading · Writing |
| How is the exam scored? | Each section is scored on the scale of 0 to 9. Final score is average of the four sections. | Each section is scored on the scale of 0 to 30. Final score is addition of all four. |
| Is it paper based or computer based? | Paper based | Computer based |
| What is the eligibility to appear for the exam? | No restrictions as such, but need to understand other conditions where candidate wishes to apply with these scores | No restrictions as such, but need to understand other conditions where candidate wishes to apply with these scores |
| What courses can I pursue after appearing for the exam? | Candidate can apply to all courses which recognize these exams. | Candidate can apply to all courses which recognize these exams. |
| What documents must I carry on the exam day? | Valid Passport | Valid Passport |
| How many educational institutions in USA accept this score? | Approximately 4500 | Approximately 5850 |
| How many educational institutions in Australia accept this score? | Approximately 880 | Approximately 160 |
| How many educational institutions in UK accept this score? | Approximately 330 | Approximately 470 |
| How many educational institutions in Germany accept this score? | Approximately 200 | Approximately 250 |
Statistics in the table is verified on 15th February 2016. Career Care advises students to cross-check the data on respective websites before taking final decision.
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