English language proficiency is one of the significant criteria for students who wish to pursue their studies in universities where medium of education is English, especially in English speaking countries. For aspirants from countries where English is a second language, qualifying the English language test is very much essential. While IELTS is the most popular one and is accepted widely by universities across the globe, various other tests are also accepted by different universities. With so many options, students often end up being confused about which one to choose? Therefore, to help the candidates analyze different test options, we have done this comparative study of the different language tests.
What is IELTS?
IELTS is an International English Language Test for international education and global migration. It is a standardised and widely recognised test that evaluates the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers. The test is designed to analyse the English skills in listening, reading, writing and speaking. IELTS is more popular than all other international English tests across the globe. It is recognised by more than 10,000 organisations internationally. The tests are available throughout the year, in over 900 centres across the world.
IELTS exam score is recognised by over 140 countries that include the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada. The exams are conducted by IDP (International Development Program). IDP is an Australian company and is a global leader in international educational services. There are different categories to IELTS like the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Yet another category is IELTS for UKVI. The IELTS for UKVI is a government approved secure test for English language. This certification can be used to prove the candidate’s English Proficiency for the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) purposes. IELTS UKVI follows the same pattern as that of IELTS.
The exam is offered in two modes: computer-based (online) and Pen & Paper. The registration fee is 14700 (Since 1st of April 2020). There is also fee for cancellation and rescheduling. For more information on the cancellation and transfer of date, please refer the IDP website. Link: https://www.ieltsidpindia.com/information/transfer-cancellation
The band score ranges from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest). Select universities and colleges offer IELTS scholarships for Indian students, based on the candidate’s academic record.
What is OET?
Occupational English Test (OET) is an English Language Test for healthcare professionals. This is recognised by various regulatory healthcare bodies. The language skills of the health care professionals who wish to practice in an English-speaking country are being assessed using this test. With an emphasis on communication in a healthcare environment, OET covers the significant language skills that include listening, reading, writing and speaking.
The exam is offered in three modes. OET on paper, OET on computer and OET at home. However, OET at home is available only to candidates who reside in countries where there is no test venue. For more information on OET test at home refer the link: https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/test-information/delivery-modes/oet-at-home/
Including the UK, the USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, OET results are accepted world-wide. However, some countries accept only test on paper. For more information on countries that accept the OET grades please refer: https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/test-information/who-recognises-oet/
The score on all sub-modules together ranges from 0 to 500, where 0-90 is E, 100-190 od D, 200-290 is C, 300-340 is C+, 350-440 is B and 450-500 is A. A is equivalent to 8.0 – 9.0 of IELTS band score. The fee for OET exams is 587 Australian Dollars (Approximately rupees 32,000). This can only be paid through credit or debit card.
What is PTE?
Pearson Test of English (PTE) is accepted to gain admission in universities and for immigration purposes in countries like Australia, USA, UK, Ireland, Singapore, Canada and New Zealand. PTE scores are also accepted to obtain permanent residence in Australia and New Zealand. PTE is trusted by many colleges, institutions and professional bodies (more than 3,000 in number) to verify the English skills of the student who wish to apply with them.
PTE is now reduced to a two-hour test (since 16th Nov 2021). PTE Academic is a test in 2 hours that measures English speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Part 1: Speaking and writing. Part 2: Reading, Part 3: Listening.
There are around 35 test centres in India. The fee is 13700 INR for both PTE Academic and PTE Academic Online (Prices are inclusive of 18% GST) as of Jan 2022. For more information on the above, refer https://www.pearsonpte.com/test-centers-and-fees
For a period of two years (from the date of exam), the PTE Academic scores are valid. Upon expiry, the PTE score is removed from the site in default, and will not be visible anymore. On the Global Scale of English, PTE Academic gives you a score from 10–90. PTE academic score 10-29 (A1), 30-42 (A2), 43-58 (B1, IELTS equivalent band 4-5), 59-75 (B2, IELTS equivalent 5.5-6.5), 76-84 (C1, IELTS equivalent band 7-8), 85-90 (C2, IELTS Equivalent band 9)
What is TOEFL?
TOEFL is a Test of English as a Foreign Language and is accepted by more than 11,500 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test measures the prominent English skills — reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Please refer the link to check for the countries where TOEFL test is available. https://www.ets.org/toefl/score-users/about/country-list
TOEFL is a three-hour test. The
total score possible is 0–120. 0-31 (IELTS band equivalent 0-4), 32-34 (IELTS
band equivalent 4.5),
35-45 (IELTS band equivalent 5), 46-59 (IELTS band equivalent 5.5),
60-78 (IELTS band equivalent 6), 79-93 (IELTS band equivalent 6.5),
94-101 (IELTS band equivalent 7), 102-109 (IELTS band equivalent 7.5),
110-114 (IELTS band equivalent 8), 115-117 (IELTS band equivalent 8.5),
118-120 (IELTS band equivalent 9)
The charges for this test are 12,750 INR. Charges shall be applicable for cancellation and rescheduling. Refer the link for information on fees https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/take/fees/
What is DET?
DET is the Duolingo English Test that comprises of the 4 sections- Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing and takes about 45-mins to complete. It is accepted by thousands of institutions across the globe. Please check the below link to know the universities that accept DET. https://englishtest.duolingo.com/institutions
The Duolingo scores are marked on a scale of 10 – 160.
55-60 (IELTS band equivalent 4), 65-70 (IELTS band equivalent 4.5),
75-80 (IELTS band equivalent 5), 85-90 (IELTS band equivalent 5.5),
95-100 (IELTS band equivalent 6), 105-110 (IELTS band equivalent 6.5),
115-120 (IELTS band equivalent 7), 125-130 (IELTS band equivalent 7.5),
135-140 (IELTS band equivalent 8), 145-150 (IELTS band equivalent 8.5),
155-160 (IELTS band equivalent 9).
The exam fee is USD 49. The Duolingo accepts the exam fee payments through the PayPal and major credit cards.
Which one should I choose?
It is a challenge to assess which English test is more difficult. IELTS assess all the four skills like listening, reading, writing and speaking separately. This means that when you take the reading test, only the reading skills are tested, they are not integrated. IELTS offers you two modes of exam: pen & paper and
computer based. With IELTS, we need to do the speaking test, face-to-face with a human. There are detailed set of parameters for evaluating performance in each module in IETS. For example, writing module has parameters like Task response, coherence and cohesion, Lexical Resources, Grammatical range and accuracy. This makes it harder to score high, unless you have deeper language capabilities.
In PTE, on the contrary, the content and fluency are the major parameters that are taken into consideration and not so much of importance to Lexical Resources and Grammar. Therefore, people who are very fluent is speaking tend to score high in PTE. To quote an example, one of our students who scored overall 8 Band in IELTS in two consecutive attempts, could score only bank6.5 for writing, while her required score to secure admission to her choice of course was Band 7 or above on all modules. Thereafter, she wrote PTE and scored an overall score of 88 and scored 90 for writing and obtained admission to the same college. The exam is offered only on a computer-based model. TOEFL, will again be completely computer-based where you will not have to interact with a human For listening subtests, in both PTE & TOEFL, you will have to listen and take notes on lectures or on-campus conversations. You will need to answer the multiple choice-based questions based on the conversations you listened to. However, in IELTS, you will need to listen and write the answers as you go, over a different type of questions.
Conclusion
In Summary, first of all, you need to determine, which test shall be accepted by the university you wish to apply for. If you are not constrained, decide which fits you the best. You can choose to try out the free materials offered by IELTS, PTE and TOEFL in their own websites. The way you prepare for the test matters more than how difficult it is or what others say about the test. These tests are never obstacles, but are an opportunity to prove that you have all required skills to live and communicate conformably in a foreign country.
Authored By :
Manju Mahadevan
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