IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE Academic vs Duolingo: Which test you should take

The "better" test depends on your specific needs and goals. Both TOEFL and IELTS are widely accepted English proficiency tests, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The TOEFL exam is widely accepted in all the universities present in major study-abroad destinations such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The mode of the TOEFL exam is computer-based and it focuses more on the academic English. The exam takes 2 hours to complete in which it assesses all four skills of the test taker namely - speaking, listening, reading and writing.  

On the other hand, the IELTS exam covers modeules from both academic English and general training English. However, the IELTS exam format differ entirely from that of the TOEFL exam. The IELTS exam takes a total of 3 hours to get completed in two different sittings. Students have to take the speaking section (11-14 minutes, with a real examiner) of the test up to 7 days either before or after taking the main IELTS exam in which the reading, listening and writing skills are assessed in the time frame of 2 hours and 44 minutes. 

The other main points of difference between the IELTS and TOEFL exams are given below. Students can choose the exam that suits them the best based on the following and above-mentioned information. 

Both IELTS and PTE are English proficiency tests required to study abroad in countries where the native language is English. However, the comparison between the two will depend entirely on the student’s preferences and purpose of taking the test. Below are a few points that can help you make clear choices.

1. Acceptance: IELTS is more widely accepted worldwide while PTE is less acceptable. However, the latter is getting increasingly accepted by more and more institutions and organisations in the world owing to its faster processing time. Both the exams are accepted for Australian student visas and migration applications. 

2. Exam Pattern: Both the IELTS and PTE exams comprise the Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking sections. However, the duration and the sequence of assessing these 4 core English language skills differ in both exams.

The IELTS exam assesses Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes) and Writing (60 minutes) skills in a sequence while Speaking (10-14 minutes) is assessed face-to-face by a real examiner. This is done on a different date from the actual IELTS exam, maybe till a week later. You may expect to get your IELTS exam results after 1 or 2 weeks of taking the exam depending on the type of exam you opted for (on-paper or computer-based).

On the contrary, the sequence of assessment of these core skills in the PTE exam is Speaking and Writing (50 - 67 minutes), Reading (30 minutes) and Listening 30-45 minutes. The total duration of the exam is 2 hours and test takers can expect to see their results within 48 hours of taking the exam. 

3. Assessment: The Speaking section in the IELTS exam is assessed separately in real-time by the English experts in a face-to-face round which is often conducted a week after your IELTS exam date. 

The Speaking section in the PTE exam is assessed along with the Writing section which is a more natural way to assess test taker’s skills. The speaking section along with all other sections are completed online, on the computer and are assessed by artificial intelligence. 

4. Release of Results: PTE releases its test results within 48 hours of taking the test. However, the IELTS exam result can take around a week's or 2 weeks' time to get relesaed. IELTS scores are generated by English experts who compare your performance with the global standards while PTE uses an automated scoring system by using AI. 

These factors may help you arrive at your decision of which exam to choose from for your academic endeavours. 

The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.

Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.

• Know the exam pattern
• Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
• Solve previous year question papers
• Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
• Revise regularly
• Figure out weaker areas and learn them well

With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.

Indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School in the UK for several reasons, including its highly ranked programs, global outlook, and career support. Hult offers a range of full-time master’s degrees, immersive bachelor's programs, and MBA options that prepare students to excel in the global job market. The school is the largest and top-ranked global business school, providing students with an incomparable universal outlook. Additionally, Hult's focus on experiential learning, extensive career support, and the opportunity to study at multiple campuses around the world are attractive to Indian students seeking a global business education. Furthermore, the school's emphasis on innovation and meeting the needs of students and employers may also contribute to its appeal to Indian students

Both the PTE Academic and IELTS have been designed to understand the English language proficiency of the candidate. They have been designed to test the writing, speaking reading, and listening skills of the test taker. Hence, both the tests are at par with each other and the candidate should opt for the one he is comfortable in. However, there are some points of differences that must be noted when making a decision, these are:

1. The PTE exam (2 hours) is shorter than the IELTS exam (3 hours).
2. All the segments (sections) of a PTE exam are tested within a day, in a single sitting. However, the different sections in an IELTS exam are assessed on different days. 
3. The IELTS exam tests speaking, listening, reading and writing proficiencies in the English language separately, which may not be appropriate for testing the real-life comprehension abilities of the test-taker. On the other side, the PTE exam tests all these skills simultaneously based on the belief that successful communication is developed by combining all these skills together. 
4. Your performance in a PTE exam is judged by AI, which leaves little to no room for human errors and any sort of bias. the scores awarded in this manner are mostly accurate. While, in an IELTS exam, a human examiner is present to test your overall English proficiency. 
5. Results can be expected within two days of taking the PTE exam, while the IELTS exam results are released later. 

The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below: