In this article, we decided to talk about what international language exams exist, how they are passed, how they differ from each other, and also share secret knowledge about ways to save money.
What kind of exams are these? The international exam is needed to check how well a person speaks a non-native language. There are quite a few options for handling, but the main pool includes about a dozen:
- the Cambridge "troika" consisting of FCE, CAE, CPE (in fact, there are many more of them, but these are the main ones),
- IELTS family – General, Academic and Life skills (there are others, but Russians generally do not need them),
- TOEFL,
- PTE.
Exams are divided into three categories – general, academic, and professional; The former are needed by those who want to move to live in the country which language exam they are taking, the latter are for studying at school or university, and professional ones are for working specialists.
If you are applying, it is easy to determine the type you need - it is always marked on the website of the university where you will send documents, in the general section or in the passport of a particular program.
General Exams
This includes the entire range of exams held under the roof of the University of Cambridge, as well as PTE and two IELTS exams – general and Life skills. The purpose of such a certificate is to assist in obtaining a visa to an English-speaking country. In addition, a document of this sample is suitable for employment in an international company, where applicants are required to have a certain level of English proficiency.
Academic Exams
Here we will include GRE, SAT, GMAT, TOEFL and the academic version of IELTS. Everything is clear here: having such a certificate, you can get a student or school visa, apply to a school, university or college, apply for a scholarship or grant.
Professional Exams
These are the most numerous, but they are taken much less often than others - they are specific. A professional exam certificate is needed to work abroad in certain areas: for example, in the merchant marine, in civil aviation, in order to conduct teaching activities.
What are TOEFL and IELTS?
These two exams are the most popular: with their certificates, more than 10 thousand universities and colleges in one and a half hundred countries are open for you.
- TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language — that is, an academic test of knowledge of English as a foreign language, and in its American version. This test has no other options besides the academic one, although practical Americans accept this type of certificate when considering issues of residence permit and employment.
- IELTS is its twin brother from overseas, the International English Language Testing System. In addition to the UK, there are also certificate authorities in Australia. Strictly speaking, it is a family of three tests - general, simplified (they are taken for visitor visas, called Life Skills) and academic proper.
There are many similarities between these exams:
- Both are popular (162 countries for TOEFL vs 143 for IELTS);
- Both are suitable for a student or work visa;
- They include four components each: writing and reading, speaking and listening (that is, listening to and understanding spoken language);
- the certificate is valid for two years;
- The results can be obtained quickly: in a couple of weeks if you pass the "analog" version of the test and in 3-5 days if you take it electronically. For reference: you will receive a Cambridge certificate in a month at the earliest, more often in two;
- Prices are approximately equal;
- Both exams "fight" with the international scale of levels, there is a clear and thoughtful, logical conversion system, taking into account all aspects of language proficiency.
What is the difference between TOEFL and IELTS?
TOEFL was invented in the United States, and its main competitor was developed by specialists from Australia and the United Kingdom. Accordingly, in the first case, you will be dealing with the American version of English, and in the second case, with the British one, and you need to keep this in mind, because the pronunciation can vary quite a lot (and sometimes even the spelling).
TOEFL is taken in three hours, and its English counterpart lasts 15 minutes less (but the Americans give you ten minutes to rest, and the British offer to "give up" non-stop).
The reading and listening tasks of the American test are simpler — there is a standard test mode with 4 answer options. But in IELTS, the tasks are more diverse, and they are quantitatively larger: you need, for example, to fill in the missing words, choose the same root, or come up with a title for a short text.
How the exams are held
Both tests can be taken both in writing and orally.
- In paper mode, this is a kind of exam at maximum speed: you are given a task, the time for each component is counted, and the listening task is announced from the computer for the whole group.
- If you take the exam electronically, everything happens more intimately: listening is carried out through headphones, you mark the correct options and type the text using the keyboard, no papers or notes (there is a separate file even for drafts).
Most of all, the differences are noticeable in the oral part. In the British, you will have to communicate with a live examiner, and if you do not understand something, you can ask a clarifying question. In general, you can just communicate - this will help you tune in to the working mood and remember something half-forgotten, gaining a second or two. With TOEFL, this number will not work: the task will be repeated only once, and the answers are immediately recorded, including incorrect ones.
How are the exams conducted?
On specially designated days, and you must first sign up through the website - fill out a form, indicating your passport details, the chosen transfer center, the method of payment (by card or cash) and the way you can be contacted. Each exam system has its own official website. There, in addition to registration, you can select a center from the list and check the schedule.
By the way, registration for TOEFL ends a week before the exam date, and for IETLS — 35 days. There is a late registration option: in the case of "American" exams, it will cost 40 USD, with English exams it is free, but only if there are vacancies: then the center will extend everything itself and post a corresponding announcement.
