IELTS or TOEFL? Which one should I take to?
IELTS and TOEFL are tests that measure language proficiency in both exams. If you want to study abroad; If you are going to apply for immigration or immigration, you must first prove your English proficiency. You can show your proficiency by taking the IELTS or TOEFL exams. When we come to the point of which one should be preferred, it is most important that we determine our goals well. Both exams are internationally valid and widely accepted. However, although it is not a common situation, it may be the case that the institution you will apply for accepts only one of these exams. Therefore, the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing is to be sure which exam the institution you are applying to accepts. If you learned that both exams were accepted; The choice of exam is entirely up to you.
Let's examine the conditions together to make a choice.
What is your purpose of taking the exam?
If your reason for taking the exam is not academic; If you are applying for a residence permit or work permit, IELTS General will be sufficient to prove your language level. IELTS General is a very easy exam compared to the TOEFL and IELTS Academic exams.
TOEFL – IELTS: Computer Communication? Face to Face Communication?
Are you comfortable using a computer or talking to a person face to face? In the TOEFL speaking section, you are asked questions on the computer and you are expected to answer them. Your answers are recorded and begin to be evaluated after the exam. Other candidates who take the Speaking part take the exam at the same time as you, in the same room. From time to time, this can create distraction and focus problems for candidates.
If IELTS speaking; Accompanied by a native speaker, you are taken to the exam one-to-one and answer the questions posed to you. We can say that IELTS is much more suitable for you if you think that you will feel more comfortable with a person rather than a computer, and if you believe that the crowd will distract you. In addition; While you need to use a keyboard in TOEFL writing; IELTS writing is practiced with paper and pen.
TOEFL – IELTS: Question Types – Exam Durations
The TOEFL exam consists mainly of multiple-choice questions, with the exception of the writing section. If you think you are more successful in multiple choice exams. It will be more advantageous for you to choose the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL test takes longer than 4 hours. In TOEFL, you take all sections on the same day.
If you are not good with multiple choice questions, IELTS is more suitable for you. In addition to multiple choice questions, the IELTS exam also includes different types of questions such as filling in the blanks and matching. In addition, the IELTS exam takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. In IELTS, the speaking part is applied on a different day.
Which accent do you understand better?
If the English you speak is closer to the British accent and you think that you can express yourself more comfortably in this accent, the IELTS exam may be more suitable for you.
TOEFL is an American based test. For this reason, TOEFL will be a better choice if you are closer to an American accent. On either test, your pronunciation or accent doesn't matter or affect your score. You can choose whichever one you will be able to deal with anxiety more easily during the exam.