TOEFL – IELTS – PTE

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Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and some of the other programs use a test to detect the candidates' ability to speak in the English language.

Before, 2009, Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) were the most common medium of testing the English language.

In 2009, one of the eminent educational companies in the United States of America launched its English proficiency exam. Since it was launched by Pearson, it is known as the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic.

Although these three tests; IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE claim to deliver equitable results, yet, every program has its criteria for accepting the exam. For instance, not all MBA programs accept all the three exams.

Here is a difference between the three exams based on different parameters.

TOEFL is more commonly accepted by the institutes offering MBA programs in the United States of America.

PTE Academic is the newest of all and is being widely accepted by almost all the MBA programs worldwide.

Requirements of Institutions

Most commonwealth universities accept IELTS, and many universities at the United States of America have also begun accepting the IELTS.

However, it is also true that institutions in the United States of America prefer TOEFL and over 8000 universities there accept it.

PTE is the youngest of all the exams, and most institutions accept either IELTS or TOEFL.

Since most MBA programs do not accept all the three, candidates must make sure that they shall take the necessary exam for the program they aspire to apply.

On the contrary, candidates must also know which exam shall suit their testing style the best. This is suitable if a program accepts more than one of these exams.

Test Availability

In contrast to this, IELTS is available in 1100 centers across 140 countries worldwide.

PTE is a recent invention and is available only in 250 testing centers across 50 countries across the globe.

Test-Differences

Test-Differences	Details
Answer formats	TOEFL comprises of mainly multiple choice questions. IELTS requires candidates to come up with many questions in the sections. Therefore, for candidates who find it difficult to read and listen, TOEFL may prove to be slightly challenging.
Listening section samples	TOEFL listening section is based on classroom and lecture environment. IELTS listening section consists of more conversation based samples. When compared, TOEFL is much more challenging in the areas of discussion which require much more concentration.
Reading passages	Reading the section in both exams is based on several questions on each passage given. However, TOEFL uses only academic passages and IELTS uses a mixture of academic texts and passages.
Recorded speaking vs. oral interview	TOEFL and PTE speaking sections are administered on the computer. While the TOEFL speaking section is evaluated by a human rater and PTE speaking section is evaluated by a computer program. IELTS is a conversation based live interview. This shall depend upon the candidate’s preference.
Dates of exam	TOEFL takes places only on one day. IELTS's format section takes place on one day, and the rest is taken separately.

Ways of Deciding Which Test to Take
The five most crucial elements to consider while choosing between the three English proficiency test are:

Length of each test: TOEFL is the longest of the three tests as it takes almost 4 hours to complete the test. On the other hand, IELTS requires only 2 hours and 45 minutes that can be completed on two separate days. The PTE takes 3 hours to complete.
The candidates who find it uncomfortable to take long tests can choose the relatively shorter test. However, it is also true that the more extended test proves to be an excellent opportunity to showcase English skills.

Cost of the Test: The three test stand par with one another regarding the cost. The specific cost may vary depending upon the location.

Scoring of the Test: TOEFL and IELTS use human scorers. The speaking portion of the IELTS exam is evaluated through a test proctor and incorporates a face-to-face conversation. In contrast to this, PTE uses the automatic scoring.

The content of each test: TOEFL is a typical American style standardized test, which consists of 2 essays, lost of MCQs, and six brief spoken responses. While IELTS has a similar format, PTE avoids lots of typical standardized format.

The format of the Exam: PTE has questions that are mostly spoken, and there is no scope for pause or re-record. This makes PTE a challenging option.