As an international student, if you are looking to study abroad in Canada or an English-speaking country, one of the basic requirements would be for you to qualify and pass the standardized English language test. IELTS and TOEFL are both popular among students as these tests are accepted by thousands of universities worldwide. Although similar in ambition, these tests differ broadly in their testing criteria. Let’s take a look.

The IELTS Academic Test

IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System and measures the English proficiency of non-native English speakers. This test is extremely important as it not only helps in college admissions but also in the visa application process.

The IELTS Academic Test has 4 components:

1. Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing
4. Speaking 

All components of this test are compulsory and the duration of the entire test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. Each section of this test is scored out of 9 points and the final score is calculated by averaging the scores of each section. The scores required by different universities vary, however, we at UniRely recommend an overall score of at least 7.5 for admission into most of the top universities in Canada.

To know more about the IELTS and its center locations, please visit the official IELTS website.

The TOEFL iBT

TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language and iBT stands for Internet-Based Test. Similar to IELTS, TOEFL has the following four sections:

1. Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing
4. Speaking

All components of this test are compulsory and the duration of the test is 4 hours. 

Each section of this test is out of 30 points and the total score is calculated by adding the four individual section scores, making the test out of 120. Each university has its own specific TOEFL requirements, however,  we at UniRely recommend a score of at least 105. 

Universities in Canada may also accept other formats of the TOEFL so make sure you check with your chosen universities before sending in your scores. 

To know more about TOEFL and its center locations, please visit the official TOEFL website.

It is important to know that universities do not require both IELTS or TOEFL Scores. You just need to submit your scores on one of these two tests. We would recommend you to take the IELTS as it is more recognized for universities in Canada as well as for the visa application process. Also, make sure you remember that any test taken prior to 2 years of applying will not be eligible for consideration. 

If you are applying to a foreign university for the first time, we recommend you to contact our counselors at UniRely who can help you with your application. Please visit our website unirely.com to get more information about the application process to universities in Canada for an undergraduate degree.