International students and workers must take a standardized test of English

to move into higher levels of education and employment. There are three popular
tests that universities or employers can use. They are the Test of English as a
Foreign Language, TOEFL, the Test of English for International Communication,
TOEIC, and the International English Language Testing System, IELTS.
IELTS means International English Language Testing System and it is a
test of English language proficiency. The test is designed for foreign speakers who
wish to study, work and live in an English-speaking environment. The IELTS
language certificate can open doors to international academic and professional
opportunities in many institutions and places in the world where English is used.
It covers all four language skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking. These
four sections are found on two different versions of the exam: IELTS Academic
and IELTS General Training. The General IELTS is the exam you should take if
your objective is to migrate to an English speaking country for work or training
reasons; while the Academic IELTS would be a better option for you is your
intention is to study in an English speaking country, especially if it is an
undergraduate or postgraduate program.
The Listening and Speaking sections are the same in both exams, but the
Writing and Reading sections differ as the texts you will have to read and the
essays you will have to write in the General IELTS are more related to daily life
subjects, while the ones in the Academic IELTS are about more analytical topics.
The Listening section has four parts and a total of 40 questions, during which you
will have to listen to four conversations and monologues, and once each record
finishes, you will have to answer some questions about what you listened.

During the Reading section, you will have to answer 40 questions.

Depending on the type of IELTS you take, you will have to read between 3 and 5
passages. In the Academic IELTS, you will read 3 long texts taken from books
and academic journals, while in the General IELTS you will read up to 5 short
texts taken from newspapers and other news sources.
 In the Writing section, you will have 60 minutes to write two texts. In the
Academic IELTS, you will first have to do a text summarizing the information of
a graphic, diagram or table that will be given to you; then you will have to write
an essay. In the General IELTS, you will have to first write a letter explaining a
situation or requesting information; and then you will have to write an essay.

The Speaking section has three parts. In the first part, you will have to speak about
you and topics you are related with. After that, in the second part of the section,
you will have to answer some questions about a particular subject that will be
asked to you. Finally, in the third section, you will have a general discussion
about the topic of part two. It is important to highlight that this section of the
IELTS, in contrast to the speaking section of other English exams, is made face to
face with an examiner.

In total, IELTS' duration is 2 hours and 44 minutes. These are divided in

30 minutes for the Listening section, 60 minutes that last the Reading section,
another 60 minutes to write the texts of the Writing section and between 11-14
minutes to answer the three parts of the Speaking section. It is important for you
to know that the Speaking section is done in a different day than the other three
sections. There are more advantages if you are preparing for the IELTS test:

1. You will get an objective assessment of your English language

abilities. Maybe your friends have told you that you speak English well, or
perhaps you always do well in quizzes at school. But do you really know
your level? When you take an IELTS test, you will be measured against
rigorous global IELTS standards.
2. You will get a certification that is widely recognised. By taking an
IELTS test, you will receive a test report that is recognised and accepted
by thousands of institutions around the world, including companies,
universities, professional bodies, and government agencies.
3. You will improve your English language skills. Some students tend to
favour certain skills over others. When you take an IELTS test, you are
 tested in all four skills, that is, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking,
so you’ll need to practise them all if you want to do well.
4. You will gain a better knowledge of the English that you need. If you
take the IELTS Academic test, you will become more familiar with the
kind of language required for undergraduate or postgraduate study in
English.
5. You will be motivated to study harder because you’ll have a clear
goal. It’s very easy to put off studying for another day, if you don’t have
clear aims and objectives. Taking an IELTS test gives you the motivation
to study hard and improve your English.
There are the differences between the TOEFL and the IELTS. In general,
IELTS tests are accepted by institutions in Australia, UK and New Zealand.
IELTS is a test of English proficiency held jointly by Cambridge University,
British Council and IDP Education Australia. In the IELTS test, English used is
English English or British. IELTS test participants may choose Academic
Modules (for those wishing to enroll in universities and other higher education) or
General Training Modules (for those planning non-academic training, for work
experience or for immigration purposes). The IELTS test assesses each section
with a score of 0 -9, which will then be leveled for a final score on a 0-9 scale.
Unlike the TOEFL test, all IELTS tests will be handwritten. There are four
parts, namely Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. In the speaking section,
test takers will be asked to speak with an assessor directly with a duration of 12-
14 minutes. Participants will be asked a few questions about themselves and a
topic. IELTS test duration longer than TOEFL that can reach 2 hours 45 minutes.
TOEFL is a test of English proficiency with American accent. This test is
hosted by the ETS (Educational Testing Service) office in the United States for all
test participants around the world. In general TOEFL tests are required by
universities in the United States and Canada.
TOEFL test consists of two types, namely TOEFL ITP and TOEFL iBT. The
TOEFL ITP (Instituional Testing Program) is commonly used for the Asian
region, with an institutional score, meaning it is only used for certain local
institutions and territories and does not apply to all countries of the world. In
general, the TOEFL test used is the TOEFL iBT test (Internet Based Test) where
you will be asked to record all your answers on a computer that has been
connected directly to the internet. Your answers will be sent directly to ETS.
TOEFL ITP test is divided into three test sessions, namely Listening, Structure
and Written Expression and Reading Comprehension. The maximum total score
on TOEFL ITP is 500 or 550 even 600. For TOEFL iBT includes Reading,
Listening, Speaking and Writing. The latest TOEFL iBT test score has a
maximum value of 120, with the requested average being 80 or 90. The TOEFL
test lasts for nearly 4 hours.
A major difference between the TOEFL IBT and the IELTS is in the Speaking
section. On the IELTS, you have a face-to-face interview with a certified
examiner. On the TOEFL IBT, you listen to a situation and record your response
using a computer. Another difference between the TOEFL IBT and IELTS is the
Listening section. The IELTS Listening section has four recorded monologues or
conversations. The TOEFL IBT has classroom lectures by teachers and class
discussions by students.
In conclusion, your English score is all-important for going where you want to
go, when you want to go there. If you want to take any kind of test, make sure that
you have enough time to prepare for it.