👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 ☢️ 📢 IELTS, TOEFL, PTE: a detailed guide to international exams in English 👊🏽 🔖 🎵

To study or officially work in an English-speaking country, you must obtain an international language proficiency certificate.

Today there are several dozen different testing programs that issue certificates of English proficiency. But the most popular among them are IELTS, TOEFL and PTE.

What it is, where the certificates are relevant, how to take, how much it costs to pass the exam and what is the difference in general - we will tell you today in the article.

International examinations in English

IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and a dozen other English tests are standardized programs to test the language level of non-residents of English-speaking countries. That is, only foreigners need them to prove their level of English.

TOEFL and IELTS are the most popular exams recognized by most educational institutions and companies in English-speaking countries.

Over 35 million people have already received the TOEFL certificate in almost 60 years of the exam's existence.

The number of IELTS tests is also impressive - over 3.5 million foreigners take it every year .

The PTE test is also accepted in most countries around the world. And although it is taken by an order of magnitude fewer people, it is worth considering it too - as an alternative to TOEFL or IELTS, it passes in most cases.

Features TOEFL, IELTS and PTE

Now let's figure out the components of the exam and the organizational nuances. It is clear that in order to assess the level of the language, it is necessary to check how a person understands the text, perceives information by ear and how he speaks. But each test has its own characteristics that must be taken into account.

IELTS Academic

There are two types of IELTS: Academic IELTS and General IELTS. General IELTS will be enough to live in an English-speaking country, but Academic IELTS is often needed for study and work. In this article, we will consider it exactly.

When you need exactly IELTS

If you are applying for a visa to the UK, you will need to pass exactly IELTS. Since 2016, UK Visa Application Centers only accept certificates issued by Cambridge English Language Assessment (CELA) and Trinity College London. The IELTS test is part of the CELA group.

That is, even if you have a TOEFL certificate for the maximum score, you will still have to take IELTS to prove your level. Such a tough policy is the response of the UK Department of Defensefor the facts of fraud with the results of TOEIC tests (another international test of knowledge of English) when obtaining study visas.

Most UK universities are more willing to accept IELTS certificates. Detailed requirements for the certificate and results should be read on the websites of universities.

Registration and organizational issues

IELTS is handed over only in special centers. You cannot take the test online. On the Internet, you can take only one of the trial versions of the exam. Previously, IELTS was generally written by hand - only the last few years in service centers they began to take it on a computer.

You can register for the test online. All sites of the centers are created according to a single template, so it is difficult to make a mistake. But each service center has its own website, so you will need to search through a search engine. The template looks like this:

Next, you just need to select the type of exam, a convenient date and go through a simple online registration procedure. You can pay through online banking or using bank details in any physical department of the bank. This is given three days after completing the online form. If there is no payment during this period, registration for the exam will automatically be canceled and must be repeated.

Be prepared to be photographed and fingerprinted before the exam. Access to the examination rooms is given precisely for them in order to exclude the possibility of fraud. If you leave the classroom during the exam, your fingerprint is scanned again.

IELTS

Price The cost of the IELTS test varies by country. In Ukraine it is about $ 140, in Russia - $ 170, in Kazakhstan - $ 150, in Belarus - $ 200.

The structure of IELTS and features of passing

The exam consists of four parts:

Listening : 30 minutes. You listen to up to four audio recordings of native speakers. After that, you need to answer 40 questions.
Academic Reading : 60 minutes. You need to read three texts and answer 40 questions about them.
Academic Writing: 60 . . , . — . — .
Speaking: 11-14 . , , , .

The test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. The oral part of the exam can be held separately from the written part, even on a different day.

You receive all questions simultaneously with texts and audio recordings. That is, you can purposefully search for answers to test questions.

Results and Certificate

IELTS results are shown on a scale of 1 to 9 in 0.5 increments. The average result is 5.5-6.5. A minimum of 6.0 is required for admission to British universities. Moreover, the average results across countries are very different.

You can find out your final score 13 days after the exam. They will be available on the official website of the service center. Then you can get the original certificate. Paid copies - about $ 15 apiece. However, upon request, the center can send up to five free copies to host educational institutions or government agencies (embassies, consulates, and others).

The IELTS certificate is valid for two years. Some companies and educational institutions “require” that the certificate be received no earlier than six months, but there is no legal basis for such requirements.

...

TOEFL

TOEFL is a typical academic language proficiency test. It can be compared to Academic IELTS, but not General IELTS.

When TOEFL is Needed

In the US, there are principled higher education institutions that only accept TOEFL scores. These include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia University, Stanford, Yale and many other American universities.

Most US government agencies do not see the difference and accept IELTS and PTE results as well.

Registration and organizational issues

TOEFL in most countries of the world is carried out on a computer in a service center. Conducting a test "on paper" is common only in a number of countries in Asia and Africa, which have serious problems with access to the Internet among the population.

You can register for the test on the official ETS website . The procedure itself is pretty simple. The only caveat is that it is better to indicate the number of a foreign passport, rather than a national one - there is less chance of confusion.

For Apple owners! There have been a lot of complaints on the ETS website that it can throw an error when registering with iOS. If you have a Mac or iPhone and you can't apply, try repeating it through Windows or Android.

You can choose the date of the test no earlier than a week after registration. There is an "accelerated" mode to pass the exam in three days, but you need to pay extra for this.

TOEFL

Price The price of the TOEFL exam also differs from country to country. In Ukraine it is $ 180, in Russia - $ 250, in Kazakhstan - $ 160, in Belarus - $ 200.

TOEFL structure and peculiarities of passing

The procedure itself is quite standard. You come to the service center, confirm your identity and hand over your things. You can't even take water or a snack. In general, the rules do not differ from standard state exams.

But there is an important difference: in TOEFL you pass everything to the computer, even speaking. Answers are recorded. The test part is checked automatically, and the Speaking and Writing blocks are then checked by the teacher - you do not have direct contact with the examiner.

The exam also consists of 4 parts:

Reading : 54-72 minutes. You are reading 3-4 paragraphs from academic texts. After that, you need to answer 30-40 questions about them.
Listening : 41-57 minutes. You listen to up to four audio recordings from native speakers. After that, you need to answer 28-39 questions.
Speaking : 17 minutes. You need to express your opinion on a familiar topic and answer questions about the materials you have read and listened to.
Writing: 50 . . , — .

The number of questions varies and depends on the length and complexity of the texts and audio recordings.

The test portion is evaluated by the computer, so any typos will be considered errors. Also in Writing it is necessary to use the American spelling of the words: “color”, not “color”, “neighbor”, not “neighbor”.

Additional complexity - you receive questions for the reading and listening unit only after processing the text or recordings. That is, you need to remember the material well. The time to complete the test is four hours.

Each block is worth 30 points. In total, the entire test is graded on a scale from 0 to 120. Most universities require a minimum level of 70-90, which corresponds to B1 / B2.

Results and certificate

The exam results will be ready in six days. They can be viewed digitally in your personal ETS account. The physical certificate will be mailed to you 11 days after the test.

Important! If you want to send copies of the certificate to educational institutions, government organizations or companies, then you must specify them BEFORE the test. Up to four free copies are available. AFTER the exam is completed, each copy is paid - $ 18 apiece.

The TOEFL certificate is also valid for two years.

PTE Academic

PTE has two versions of the exam: General and Academic. Here we will look specifically at Academic.

When to Exactly PTE

PTE is not a basic English proficiency test. Many government organizations and universities put it as an alternative option next to the IELTS and TOEFL results.

There are no special situations when PTE is needed.

Registration and Organizational Issues To

register for the exam, visit the Pearson PTE official website . To do this, you need to create a personal account, select the desired date and fill out the online registration form.

We warn you right away that the site is a bit user-unfriendly. Therefore, the registration form still needs to be searched. She hid here in her personal account:

After answering two questions, the system will show the optimal type of exam and transfer it to the page for choosing a service center - there you can also select the date and time. Interestingly, dates for the next day are often available.

PTE

Price The cost of the exam depends on the specific service center. In Ukraine it is $ 170, in Kazakhstan - from $ 155, in Belarus - $ 195. Unfortunately, there is no longer a PTE change center in Russia.

The structure of the PTE and the specifics of passing

The exam consists of three blocks:

Speaking & Writing : 77-93 minutes. Here you need to complete several tasks, during which you introduce yourself, read a little aloud, describe the image, tell the text in your own words and write a short essay.
Reading : 32-40 minutes. There are a number of tasks to complete, such as “fill in the gap,” answer multiple-choice questions, or put paragraphs in the correct order.
Listening : 45-57 minutes. You need to answer a series of questions after watching a video or listening to an audio recording.

PTE is different from previous tests because here the entire assessment system is done by a computer, even speaking and writing essays. It sounds unusual, but it is. The system is fully automatic and is carried out only at the computer.

So it's worth working on the clarity of speech in advance.

Here's what the developers themselves say about this program:

As for the course of the exam itself, there are no peculiarities. The standard procedure for checking identity and handing over at the computer in a specially equipped classroom. The test takes three hours in total.

Results and Certificate

The results are assessed on a 10 to 90 point scale and the Global Scale of English (GSE) system.

The results are known within 48 hours after the end of the exam. All this is due to the automatic computer processing of the results. This is the fastest international English proficiency test possible. From registration to receiving the result, it is quite possible to keep within three days. Ideal if you need a certificate urgently.

The PTE certificate has no statute of limitations. It is fully valid in five and ten years. That is, if you are satisfied with the result, you will never need to take the test again.

***

With regard to the choice of the exam, then you need to look at the specific goal for which you are taking it. Universities and government agencies clearly state which certifications they accept.

In general, the rule "IELTS for Britain, TOEFL for the USA" works almost always.

Business is more loyal to this. If the official confirmation of knowledge of the language is needed, then in most cases any certificate is suitable.

If you take it for yourself, then we recommend PTE. The assessment of knowledge by a computer is carried out quite accurately, but at the same time less effort is spent on passing the test itself. After IELTS and TOEFL, the examiner looks like a squeezed lemon, and PTE is perceived a little easier.

But if you have a specific goal, then play from it. Personal preference is useless here. I wish you success and high results.

Online school EnglishDom.com - we inspire to learn English through technology and human care

Only for Habr readers, the first lesson with a teacher on Skype is free ! And when buying classes, you will receive up to 3 lessons as a gift!

Get a full month of ED Words premium subscription as a gift .

Enter the promo code 3exams on this page or directly in the ED Words app . The promo code is valid until 11/06/2021.

Our products:

IELTS, TOEFL, PTE: a detailed guide to international exams in English