Key Facts
| IELTS Online results turnaround | 6–8 days |
|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI minimum for B2 (four skills) | 5.5 in all four components |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
IELTS vs TOEFL comes down to one fact for a UK visa: IELTS has a version, IELTS for UKVI, on the Home Office list of secure English language tests, whilst TOEFL iBT does not appear on that list. For university admission the picture is wider, because UK universities set their own accepted tests and ETS, the owner of TOEFL, states that all UK universities accept TOEFL iBT.
The two tests cover Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, yet they differ in length, in scoring scale and in how Speaking is delivered. IELTS Academic lasts 2 hours 45 minutes and reports bands from 0 to 9, with a face-to-face Speaking test. TOEFL iBT takes about 2 hours, reports a 1 to 6 scale and has candidates speak into a microphone. The sections below set out each difference so you can match a test to your requirement.
How are IELTS and TOEFL iBT structured?
IELTS Academic has four papers taking 2 hours 45 minutes in total, and the format is the same wherever it is taken. Listening lasts about 30 minutes across 4 parts with 40 questions, and each recording is played once only. Reading lasts 60 minutes across 3 sections with 40 questions drawn from 11 question types, including True/False/Not given, matching headings and sentence completion.
Writing lasts 60 minutes with two tasks: Task 1 describes a graph, table, chart or diagram in at least 150 words, and Task 2 responds to a point of view, argument or problem in at least 250 words. Speaking lasts 11 to 14 minutes across 3 parts.
TOEFL iBT is split into four sections and takes about 2 hours, with the owner noting that, as the test adapts, test time and items may vary. Reading has 50 items, Listening 47, Writing 12 and Speaking 11. Reading tasks are Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life and Read an Academic Passage, whilst Writing tasks are Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion.
How are IELTS and TOEFL iBT scored?
IELTS reports a band scale from 0 to 9 for each skill and an overall band, whereas TOEFL iBT reports a 1 to 6 scale in half-point increments. On IELTS, Listening and Reading scores are reported in whole and half bands, and the overall band is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in.25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in.75 rounds up to the next whole band.
TOEFL iBT gives four section scores and an overall score on its 1 to 6 scale, with the overall score being the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band. ETS aligns the scale with the CEFR, and a score of 4 corresponds to CEFR level B2 for each section and for the overall score.
IELTS publishes its own CEFR links for UK visa purposes: 4.0 in every component for B1, 5.5 for B2 and 7.0 for C1.
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Enquire about this tutorIs IELTS or TOEFL iBT an approved SELT for a UK visa?
IELTS for UKVI is an approved secure English language test (SELT), and TOEFL iBT is not. The GOV.UK page on secure English language tests names the IELTS SELT Consortium tests "IELTS for UKVI" and "IELTS Life Skills" among its approved tests, and TOEFL does not appear on it. ETS describes TOEFL iBT as not formally recognised by the Home Office as a SELT.
UKVI accepts only tests taken in person at an official IELTS for UKVI centre, so IELTS Online cannot be used for a visa.
The CEFR level you need depends on your route, and the GOV.UK page sends you to route-specific guidance for the exact level.
How do UK universities treat IELTS and TOEFL iBT?
UK universities set their own English entry requirements, and ETS states that TOEFL iBT is accepted by every UK university, including the Russell Group, with Home Edition scores treated the same way. IELTS, for its part, also satisfies Student route rules at degree level and above when taken as IELTS or IELTS for UKVI with at least 5.5 in each of the four components.
Universities may accept TOEFL iBT for Student route applicants under conditions, even though it is not a SELT, so the course page or admissions office has the final word on which test and which scores apply to your application. If a university asks for IELTS for UKVI, a standard IELTS result will not meet that request.
Is Speaking with an examiner different from recorded Speaking?
IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with a certified examiner, and the interview is recorded, whereas TOEFL iBT Speaking has candidates speak into a microphone. IELTS Speaking has three parts: an introduction and interview of 4 to 5 minutes, a long turn of 3 to 4 minutes including one minute of preparation, and a discussion of 4 to 5 minutes. Examiners assess Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, and Pronunciation.
TOEFL iBT Speaking has two task types, Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview, over about 8 minutes.
To prepare for IELTS, practise Part 2 by planning for one minute and then speaking for up to two, record yourself, and mark the recording against the four criteria. To prepare for TOEFL, practise repeating sentences accurately and answering interview questions aloud to a microphone.
Can you take IELTS and TOEFL iBT at home or at a test centre?
IELTS can be taken at a test centre or remotely online, and TOEFL iBT offers a Home Edition for taking the test at home. IELTS Online delivers Speaking as a live video call with a certified examiner, and it suits study purposes only, because visa applications need an authorised IELTS test centre. The test owner advises checking with your institution before booking IELTS Online.
TOEFL iBT Home Edition scores are accepted by UK universities according to ETS. A home test suits candidates who have a quiet private room and a reliable computer; a centre suits those who prefer a managed environment, which for a visa application means an official test centre for an approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI.
How do you choose between IELTS and TOEFL iBT?
Start with the requirement itself: a UK visa under a route that needs a SELT points to an approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI, whilst a university-only application depends on the tests that institution lists. Check the university course page first, then the GOV.UK route guidance if a visa applies, because that order fixes the test before you spend time preparing.
Once the test is fixed, take one timed paper, mark each skill, and compare the result with the required band. For IELTS Writing, practise Task 2 first because it contributes twice as much as Task 1, and check each answer against the four criteria: Task response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, and Grammatical range and accuracy. For IELTS Listening, train on single-play recordings across all six question types.
Practise the TOEFL iBT task types by name, with Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion each timed separately. Then sit a full timed test and review Reading and Listening errors by task type.
Related guides
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- IELTS or PTE Academic?
- IELTS or the Duolingo English Test?
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- PTE Academic explained
- TOEFL in the UK
- The Duolingo English Test
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Frequently asked questions
- What is IELTS Life Skills and who uses it?
- IELTS for UKVI Life Skills is a pass-or-fail test at CEFR A1, A2 or B1 that assesses Listening and Speaking only. GOV.UK lists routes needing speaking and listening only, such as citizenship, parent, partner and settlement. Routes such as Skilled Worker and Student need all four skills tested instead, so Life Skills does not meet them.
- Can an IELTS score be converted into a TOEFL iBT score?
- The two scales are separate, and the practical link is the CEFR. TOEFL iBT band 4 aligns with B2, whilst IELTS for UKVI treats 5.5 in every component as B2. A university can name different scores for each test, so use the scores it lists for the test you sit.
- Does TOEFL iBT always last the same length?
- The owner says TOEFL iBT takes about 2 hours and that, as the test adapts, test time and items may vary. Plan for about 2 hours in practice, and rehearse the section timings, such as about 30 minutes for Reading and about 29 minutes for Listening, so a different item count does not unsettle you.
- What equipment does IELTS Online need?
- IELTS Online needs a private, well-lit space where you will not be interrupted, a stable internet connection, a computer with one screen only, a webcam, a microphone and speakers, and your passport. Speaking takes place on a live video call with a certified IELTS examiner.
- Which UK visa routes need all four skills tested?
- GOV.UK lists Health and Care Worker, High Potential Individual, Innovator Founder, Minister of Religion, Scale-up Worker, Skilled Worker, Start-up, Student and Temporary Work International Agreement as four-skills routes. The CEFR level depends on the route, so read that route's guidance before booking a test.
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