Everything That You Need to Know About the IELTS and TOEFL Tests Plus Links to Important Study Tips.
TOEFL & IELTS are two of the most important English exams in the world. Both exams are able to offer a world of opportunities for the test taker, be it for study, immigration, employment, or a dozen other relevant reasons.
Whilst TOEFL is a purely academic test, IELTS on the other hand has two versions, academic and general and between both of them will fulfill just about every requirement that a person could face.
In this article, we will look at both tests and how they are structured so as to give you an understanding of what you have to do in order to successfully achieve your goals.
PART ONE: TOEFL
The TOEFL iBT test has 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. During the test, you'll perform tasks that combine these 4 English communication skills, such as:
- read, listen and then speak in response to a question
- listen and then speak in response to a question
- read, listen and then write in response to a question
The total test takes about 3 hours to complete.
What Is In the Reading Section?
The TOEFL iBT Reading section is designed to assess how well you can read and understand the kind of materials used in an academic environment. It includes 3 or 4 reading passages, each approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. You have 54 to 72 minutes to answer all the questions in the section.
Reading passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks that would be used in introductions to a discipline or topic. The passages cover a variety of different subjects. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the topic of a passage. All the information you need to answer the questions will be included in the passage.
Tips for maximizing your score in the TOEFL reading test.
What Is In the Listening Section?
The TOEFL iBT Listening section is designed to measure your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. It includes listening for:
- basic comprehension
- pragmatic understanding (speaker's attitude and degree of certainty) and connecting and synthesizing information
There are 2 types of listening items in the Speaking section — lectures and conversations. Both use campus-based language.
- 3–4 lectures, each 3–5 minutes long, with 6 questions per lecture
- 2–3 conversations with 2 speakers, each 3 minutes long, with 5 questions per conversation
You can take notes on any audio item throughout the test to help you answer questions. You have 41 to 57 minutes to complete the section.
Tips For Maximizing Your Score on the TOEFL Listening Section
What Is In the Speaking Section?
The TOEFL iBT Speaking section is designed to measure your ability to speak English effectively in academic settings. It is composed of 4 tasks that resemble real-life situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom.
- Question 1 is called an "independent speaking task" because it requires you to draw entirely on your own ideas, opinions, and experiences when you respond.
- Questions 2–4 are called "integrated speaking tasks" because they require you to combine your English-language skills — listening and speaking, or listening, reading and speaking — just as you would in or out of a classroom.
You'll get 15–30 seconds of preparation time before each response, and your response will be 45 or 60 seconds long.
To respond, you'll speak into the microphone on your headset. Your responses are recorded and sent to ETS, where they will be scored by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters to ensure fairness and quality.
You have 17 minutes to complete the Speaking section.
Everything that you need to know about the TOEFL speaking section
TOEFL Templates For Maximizing Your Score in the Speaking Test.
What Is In the Writing Section?
The TOEFL iBT Writing section is designed to measure your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and you're expected to be able to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized manner.
There are 2 writing tasks.
- Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
- Independent writing task (30 minutes) — write an essay based on personal experience or opinion in response to a writing topic.
You'll type your responses on a computer keyboard. Responses are sent to ETS, where they are scored by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters to ensure fairness and quality.
You'll have 50 minutes to complete the Writing section.
PART TWO: IELTS TEST
What is the format of the IELTS test?
If you have decided to register for the IELTS exam, you will need to prepare for this important assessment. You should be familiar with the structure and format of the test, and keep some key rules in mind. You can sign up at language centers, and choose specific IELTS exam preparation courses, but may also find online resources helpful. IELTS learning materials and resources provide very good practice for understanding the exact format of the tests.
There are three versions of the IELTS test - Academic, General Training, and Life Skills. The first two tests, Academic and General Training are divided into four sections: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. All candidates are required to take the same Listening and Speaking tests, but there are different requirements for the Reading and Writing sections. The Academic Reading and Writing questions will be more abstract than those in the General Training version. IELTS Life Skills includes only the Listening and Speaking sections, and it takes less time to complete than the other options.
Listening section
The Listening section takes approximately 30 minutes to complete (plus 10 minutes to transfer your answers). In the beginning, you will hear the instructions and a sample question. You read the questions in section 1, listen to section 1, and give your answers. The same procedure follows for sections 2, 3, and 4. You then transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.
There are 40 questions in a variety of formats: multiple-choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labeling; note, flow-chart, summary or sentence completion; short-answers.
The Listening test has four parts:
- First, you will hear a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context. The dialogue is easy to follow and you simply need to understand the speakers’ main ideas, attitude,s and intentions.
- The second section involves listening to a monologue set in an everyday social context. You must pay attention to every detail and you may even be required to recognize a person’s feelings and emotions from the tone of his or her voice.
- In the third part, there is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context. This may include a group of students discussing a project, or planning their work with a teacher or tutor.
- Finally, you will listen to a monologue on an academic subject. You should expect to hear more specialized terms specific to an education environment.
Each conversation or monologue is played only once and may include different voices and native-speaker accents. Make sure you write your answers on the question paper while you are listening so you do not miss any information.
Speaking section
The Speaking test takes 11-14 minutes and is divided into three parts:
- The introduction and interview last about 4-5 minutes, during which the examiner introduces himself/herself and asks you to introduce yourself. He or she will ask you general questions on familiar topics such as your home, family, work, studies, and personal interests. This is so that you can warm up and feel more comfortable with the examination.
- The second part lasts no longer than 3-4 minutes. You will receive a task card and the examiner will ask you to talk about a particular topic. You will have recommended key points that you can include in your discussion. You will have one minute to prepare. You will talk for 1-2 minutes and the examiner may ask you a couple of additional questions.
- The last part of the Speaking section is a 4-5 minute discussion. The examiner will ask you in more detail about the topic from part 2. You will discuss more abstract issues and ideas. It is a good idea to avoid short replies; give detailed, relevant answers to the examiner's questions whenever you can.
Reading section
The time limit for the Reading section is 60 minutes. The Reading test includes three passages, with a total text length of between 2,150 and 2,750 words.
Like the Listening section, the Reading section features 40 questions organized in different ways: multiple choice, identifying information (true/false/not mentioned), or a writer’s views/claims. You may also have to match information or complete sentences, summaries, tables, and flow charts. The Reading section features some questions that require only a short answer. You will be expected to write words taken directly from the Reading text on the answer paper, without changing their form.
Academic Reading
Each of the three parts of the Academic Reading contains one long text. The texts are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. They have been written for a non-specialist audience and are on academic topics of general interest, accessible to candidates entering undergraduate or postgraduate courses or seeking professional registration. Texts range from a descriptive and factual style to more discursive and analytical content. They may include materials such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations. A simple glossary may be provided for any technical terms.
General Training Reading
Section 1 contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may consist of between six and eight short texts related by topic. Topics are generally relevant to everyday life in an English-speaking country. Section 2 contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues like applying for jobs, training, and more. Section 3 contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
Writing section
There are two tasks in the Writing section. Whether you choose the Academic Writing or the General Training Writing Test, the total time permitted for both tasks is 60 minutes. Part 1 requires you to write at least 150 words, and part 2 at least 250 words. Your answers should not include separate notes or bullet points, as this will decrease your overall mark.
Academic Writing
In task 1, you are presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and are asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may have to explain some data, as well as the stages of a given process. In some cases, you may also write about how something works, about the qualities of an object or, how a certain event takes place.
Task 2 requires a written essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.
The issues raised are of general interest and are designed to be easily understood by candidates entering a Bachelor’s or Master’s program abroad, or planning to work for employees in specialised fields such as medicine, nursing, law or accounting. Responses for the Academic Writing test should be written in a semi-formal, more neutral style.
General Training Writing
Task 1 introduces a real-life situation, and you will be asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. You may write the letter in either a personal or semi-formal style. The second writing assignment requires you to write an essay related to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing task 2 essay.
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