If you intend to attend university or immigrate to an English speaking country, you probably need to take an exam that proves you speak English as a second language. Although many people opt for the TOEFL, the IELTS may be a better fit for you.
1. IELTS is a more straightforward exam for many people.
While the IELTS includes the same broad sections (reading, listening, writing, and speaking) as the TOEFL, these skills are tested in more everyday use ways, even on the Academic Module. For example, the listening section requires you to listen to phone conversations and fill-in information, in addition to listening to short academic lectures (these are shorter than on the TOEFL). The speaking portion is an interview with an actual person, which is a better reflection of English usage in real life, rather than quick recorded sound bites on the computer like on the TOEFL.
2. Questions are straightforward…but there’s a catch.
In general, the IELTS doesn’t include tricky questions like the TOEFL. If you understand the conversation or newspaper article, you can easily answer the questions. The catch? On the listening, you must write down what you hear almost exactly, which takes a lot of focus. If the question asks for the phone number, you must write the numbers exactly as you hear them or you get the question wrong. Misspell a name or answer? It’s wrong.
3. It’s a pencil and paper exam that you answer as you go.
The IELTS doesn’t involve any rigorous note-taking for most sections because you can answer the questions as you go. It isn’t on the computer, which means it will take longer to get your test scores, BUT you can answer the questions as you complete the test rather than waiting until the end of the section, as on the TOEFL.
4. It’s easier to get a seat for the IELTS.
The test is basically offered every Saturday and there are hundreds of seats available for each test. It’s much harder to get a seat for the TOEFL because there is only one official test provider in Dubai.
If you’ve decided to take the IELTS, you can register for the IELTS online at the British Council or University of Wollongong websites or in person at their offices.
