IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge Proficiency?
The majority of universities in England, the USA and Canada require students who have not studied in an English-speaking country to take an English exam to prove their level of English. However, certain exceptions are made for students who have received an international diploma such as the International Baccalaureate (or “IB”), or who have spent more than 50% of their schooling in English. The most common exam in the UK is IELTS, and the required score is usually around 6.5 or 7 out of 9, which corresponds to a good command of the language, both written and spoken. In addition, the iversities generally require a minimum score for each sub-test.
IELTS for the UK
Visit Cambridge International English Language Testing System, better known as theIELTS is the test we recommend for your studies in England. Not only is IELTS the benchmark test listed on all English university websites, it is also the exam for which the largest number of sessions are offered in France, and the shortest, taking just under 3 hours on average. What’s more, Cambridge Assessment English – one of the test’s two creators – offers a wide range of preparation resources, such as Le guide officiel de Cambridge pour l’IELTS and the Cambridge IELTS 12 AcademicIELTS preparation tools. What’s more, the second sponsor of the IELTS exam is none other than the British Council, which also offers a wide range of revision tools.
We recommend that you start by researching online resources rather than buying books or courses straight away. In fact, you can find many free video resources and content on the internet, such as IELTS Lizet Magoosh and the test creators mentioned above.
Your Dream School has also created its own e-book which brings together a “best of” of IELTS preparation resources that we use to prepare our students for the exam.
Our comparison table
You will find below a comparative table of theIELTS with 3 other English exams: the TOEFL and the C1 Advanced; C2 Proficiency.
| Examination name | IELTS | TOEFL | C1 Advanced;C2 Proficiency |
| Full name | International English Language Testing System | Test of English as a Foreign Language | C1 Advanced;C2 Proficiency |
| Countries where it is most widely used | Europe/United Kingdom | North America | Europe/United Kingdom |
| Valid for | 2 years | 2 years | *No expiry date (universities will usually ask for a fairly recent score) |
| Designed for | All students | All students | More advanced English students |
| Format | Oral (“Speaking”), Ecoute (“Listening”), Lecture (“Reading”), Ecriture (“Writing”), pas de grammaire; international English | Oral (“Speaking”), Ecoute (“Listening”), Lecture (“Reading”), Ecriture (“Writing”), Grammaire (“Grammar”); international English | Oral (“Speaking”), Ecoute (“Listening”), Lecture (“Reading”), Ecriture (“Writing”), Grammaire (“Grammar”); international English |
| On paper or computer | Paper; the “speaking” part is in person | *on computer (or paper when computers are not available); QWERTY keyboard; speaking part on computer | On paper or computer |
| Number of versions | Academic & General (the “Academic” version is for university use) | 1 | 1 |
| Test duration | Approx. 3 hours | EAbout 4 hours; with a 10-minute break | Approx. 4 hours |
| Session frequency | Several times a month | 50 times a year | Once a month |
| Note scale | 1 to 9 (4 tests scored separately on a scale of 1 to 9; the final score is an average) | 0 to 120 (4 separate test scores on a 0-3 scale) | Grade of A or B for C1 Advanced; A, B, C for C2 Proficiency |
IELTS for your studies in England, TOEFL for the USA?
As you will have noticed from the table above, IELTS is a paper-based test. What’s more, you’ll also have to take the “speaking” part of the test in front of a real person – not a computer, as is the case withTOEFL TOEFL. You can also take comfort from the fact that IELTS does not directly test your grammar, even though grammar and spelling are among the assessment criteria in every section of the test. Finally, IELTS does not test only C1 and C2 level candidates, as is the case for the other two Cambridge tests (Advanced and Proficiency). Although a C1 level is often required by foreign universities in their offer of admission, it is not impossible to be admitted with a lower score. What’s more, if you wish to apply for a Foundation Year, you can also be admitted with a score of 5 to 5.5. All the more reason to choose IELTS for your studies in England! To find out more about how Your Dream School can prepare you for IELTS, visit our IELTS preparation packs overview page.
