5 Reasons to Choose TOEFL Over IELTS & TOEIC

There are so many tests to choose from, so why choose TOEFL over the rest?

Why You Should Choose TOEFL: Gold Standard

Whether you’re in HR or academia, this test is a by-word for excellence in English language testing. The TOEFL has a standardized structure that is clearly divided into four distinct sections:

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

Reading and listening are receptive skills, meaning you are the passive recipient of written or spoken English. The speaking and writing sections are productive, wherein your ability to produce language is put to the test.

Suffice to say that all four represent the skills that you will need to have mastered before entering an academic environment in higher education. A solid TOEFL score objectively demonstrates to the institutions you are applying to that you have dominated the English language.

Why You Should Choose TOEFL: Booking is Easy as Pie

It is easy to book a TOEFL test wherever you are in the world. There are test centres everywhere, and nowadays it is all done online. There’s no need to struggle with an old-fashioned pencil and paper (see the IELTS or TOEIC), because the TOEFL is an internet-based test.

Indeed, there are very few countries in the world today where you cannot sit the TOEFL test, an assertion that other major English tests are not able to make. And as for ease of use, there are over 50 TOEFL iBT test dates every year, you do everything in one sitting (I’m looking at you, IELTS!) and the results come out quickly.

Why You Should Choose TOEFL: Rich Pickings

Because the TOEFL has been around for so long, there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to preparing for the test. Get onto Google and a quick search will turn up tens of thousands of pages of exercises, books, PDFs, videos and online courses. Unsurprisingly, a lot of this is can be of dubious quality, so have your wits about you when you decide to invest your precious time and hard-earned money.

The saying in English is “forewarned is forearmed”, and in most cases, you will get what you pay for. Keep your eyes peeled for authentic questions, sometimes gleaned from previous tests, as well as real-time, live training sessions and helpful explanatory videos. The cumulative effect will be the shoring up of your test knowledge, leaving you fully equipped on test day.

Why You Should Choose TOEFL: Fair and Balanced

The TOEFL is a hugely popular test because it is seen by test-takers and institutions alike as a fair measure of your English language competence. Clearly, a lot of thought goes into preparing the TOEFL.

Take the TOEFL speaking section, for example, in which you are required to speak your thoughts directly into a microphone without having to face a total stranger. Your recorded speech is rated by up to half a dozen experts at the ETS, ensuring your work is properly vetted and checked by people who know what they are listening to.

Why You Should Choose TOEFL: Open Arms

Dominating the TOEFL is your key to studying in some of the best universities in North America and around the world. At last count, almost 10,000 institutions endorsed the TOEFL as the go-to test for under- and post-graduate students. Applying to courses with a valid TOEFL score report in your hands is a sure-fire way to get your application to the top of the admissions pile!

Still not sure if you should choose TOEFL? Feel free to email us for more information!

View these must-read tips for managing your TOEFL preparation.