IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE
Having spent years of education in a country where English is not the main medium of communication, it is important to be on the same scale as people with English as their native language. To get on board with globally recognized English standards, one can appear for specialized English language tests and check their English proficiency level worldwide. The major tests which are available and highly appeared for include the following.
IELTS
The International English Language Testing System is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. Over 3 million people take this test annually. The score is accepted almost globally and the test score is valid for a period of two years.
The paper consists of 4 sections namely
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
There is no pass or fail in this test. The result is scored on a “9 band” scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English, ranging between “Expert User” to “Did not attempt the test”. With 48 test dates available round the year, there is no limit on the number of attempts for taking the test.
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language is yet another test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English speaking universities. Over 2.3 million people take this test annually. The test is offered more than 50 times in an year.
The sections of the test are:
- Reading
- Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
The test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120.
PTE
The Pearson Test of English Academic is another English language test designed to assess the readiness of non-native English speakers to participate in a university level English language instruction program. This is a computer based exam which focuses on real-life English used in academic surroundings. The paper is divided into 3 sections:
- Speaking and writing
- Reading
- Listening
This is a 3 hour duration test and the result is declared online within 5 working days. The scores are reported on the global scale English measure on a numeric scale of 10 to 90. This is a new entry to the list and was launched in the year 2009.
Usually there seems to be doubt within students as to which English proficiency test to be taken. Let’s look at a comparative table for all the three tests. The decision as to which test is to be taken can be made accordingly when all the aspects of them are clear.
|
|
IELTS |
TOEFL |
PTE |
|
Applicability |
|
In over 130 countries including the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Canada |
Specific institutions in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and so on. |
|
Conducting body |
British Council/IDP |
Educational Testing Service |
Pearson |
|
Inclined towards |
More inclined towards the UK or Australian English |
More inclined towards American English |
More inclined towards American English |
|
Examiner |
Face to face with the examiner who is also the rater. |
Talking to the microphone |
Talking to the microphone. |
|
Human intervention |
Human raters |
Human raters |
Scores determined by the computer itself. |
|
Result declaration |
Scores are released within 13 calendar days. |
Scores available within 10 days after the test date. |
Scores available within 5 business days |
|
Scoring scale |
Scoring on a scale of 1 to 9. |
Scoring on a range from 1 to 120. |
Scoring scale of 10 to 90. |
|
Duration |
161-164 minutes |
200-250 minutes |
154-191 minutes |
|
Reading Section |
Duration – 60 minutes Questions – 40 Passages - 3 |
Duration – 60 to 80 minutes Questions – 36 to 56 Passages – 3 to 4 |
Duration – 32 to 41 minutes Questions – 15 to 20 Passages – 5 |
|
Listening Section |
Duration – 30 minutes Questions – 40 Recordings - 4 |
Duration – 60 to 90 minutes Questions – 34 to 51 Recordings – 6 to 9 |
Duration – 45 to 57 minutes Questions – 18 to 25 minutes Recordings – 8 |
|
Speaking section |
Duration – 11 to 14 minutes Format – face to face Tasks - 3 |
Duration – 20 minutes Format – On computer Tasks – 6 |
Duration – 40 to 50 minutes Format – On computer Tasks – 5 (upto 40 questions) |
|
Writing Section |
Duration – 60 minutes Format – face to face Tasks - 2 |
Duration – 50 minutes Format – On computer Tasks - 2 |
Duration – 30 to 40 minutes Format – On computer Tasks – 2 |
|
Registration Fee |
Rs. 13,250/- |
Rs. 12,750/- |
Rs. 13,300/- |
The higher the score, the better it is in the case of all the three tests. So, work really hard and give your best shot!
