Guide · Last updated 30 September 2026
IELTS vs TOEFL
TOEFL changed how it is scored in January 2026, so most comparison tables online are out of date. Here is the comparison ETS and the IELTS owners published together, what the new 1 to 6 scale means, and where each test is and is not accepted.
The two tests side by side
| IELTS | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | British Council, IDP and Cambridge | ETS |
| Length | About 2 hours 45 minutes, including an 11 to 14 minute Speaking test | About 2 hours; the sections adapt as you go |
| Speaking | A conversation with a trained examiner | About 8 minutes of recorded answers |
| Scale | Bands 0 to 9, in half bands | 1 to 6 in half points since 21 January 2026, with a 0 to 120 total alongside until January 2028 |
| Results | 1 to 5 days on computer | In your ETS account 3 days after the test |
| Where | Test centre | Test centre, or at home with a live proctor |
| UK visas that need a secure test | IELTS for UKVI | Not accepted |
| Canada PR (Express Entry) | General Training | Not accepted |
| Australian visas | Accepted | Accepted |
The joint score comparison
In 2025 ETS and the three owners of IELTS, the British Council, IDP and Cambridge, ran a concordance study together. It maps each IELTS band to the new TOEFL scale, skill by skill.
| IELTS | TOEFL total | Reading | Listening | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5 |
| 7 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 3.5 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 4.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 |
| 4 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 |
ETS rounds each total up to the next half band, to reduce the chance that the table overstates a score. A requirement that names a TOEFL score is the number that decides, not the table.
Reading the new 1 to 6 scale
Each half point lines up with a CEFR level: 6 is C2, 5 and 5.5 are C1, 4 and 4.5 are B2, 3 and 3.5 are B1, 2 and 2.5 are A2, and 1 and 1.5 are A1. For requirements written on the old scale, ETS recommends reading 100 as 5, 90 as 4.5, 80 as 4 and 70 as 3.5. Your report shows both for now, but a university or employer that moved to the new scale will quote it, so compare like with like.
Where each test counts
United States. The student visa has no English test of its own; your university's requirement is the one that counts, and most accept both. United Kingdom. TOEFL is not a Secure English Language Test. It can work for admission to a university that assesses English itself, but any route that needs a secure test needs IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI. Canada. Not accepted for PR; take IELTS General Training or CELPIP. Australia. Accepted for every visa, with its own score for each skill on the 0 to 120 scale; the Australia guide has the tables.
How to choose
If a visa is involved, start there. The UK and Canada decide it for you. For study in the United States, either works, so choose by format.
Then match the test to how you work. TOEFL Speaking is about eight minutes of recorded answers against a timer, and its sections adapt to how you are doing. IELTS Speaking is a conversation, which suits people who do better when someone is listening. TOEFL can also be taken at home, which matters if the nearest centre is a long journey away.
Frequently asked questions
What TOEFL score is equal to IELTS 7?
On the 2025 comparison published by ETS with the IELTS owners, IELTS 7.0 matches a TOEFL total of 5 on the new scale, with 4.5 in Reading, 5 in Listening, 5 in Writing and 4.5 in Speaking. On the old scale, ETS’s conversion guide puts a total of 100 at 5 and 90 at 4.5.
What happened to the TOEFL 0 to 120 score?
Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT is scored from 1 to 6 in half points. For two years, until January 2028, score reports also show a comparable total on the 0 to 120 scale, so an institution that still asks for “TOEFL 90” can read your report. When a requirement names a TOEFL number, check which scale it means.
Is TOEFL easier than IELTS?
Neither is easier for everyone; the joint comparison exists precisely so that the same English earns matching scores. They feel different: TOEFL Speaking is about eight minutes of recorded answers and its sections adapt to you as you go, while IELTS Speaking is a conversation with an examiner. Try a timed practice test in each.
Does the UK accept TOEFL for a visa?
Not where the visa needs a Secure English Language Test: TOEFL is not on the gov.uk list. A UK university that assesses your English itself for a degree-level Student visa may accept TOEFL for admission, which is its choice. For any route that needs a secure test, book IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI.
Does Canada accept TOEFL for PR?
No. For Express Entry and other economic immigration, IRCC accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Canadian universities often accept TOEFL for admission.
Can I take TOEFL at home?
Yes. ETS offers the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, taken on your own computer and monitored by a live human proctor, as well as the test at an authorised centre. IELTS is taken at a test centre.
Does Australia accept TOEFL?
Yes, TOEFL iBT is on the list for every Australian visa. The Australian rules still quote the 0 to 120 scale, with a different score for each skill: Competent English, for example, is 16 in Listening and Reading and 19 in Writing and Speaking, and a student visa needs a total of 67.
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