Both Are Widely Accepted — Check Your Target Universities First
Both IELTS and TOEFL are accepted by the vast majority of universities in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US, but it's worth confirming directly on your target university's admissions page, since a small number of institutions prefer one over the other.
Format Differences
- IELTS uses a face-to-face speaking interview with an examiner and is available in both Academic and General Training formats (study abroad requires Academic).
- TOEFL is fully computer-based, including the speaking section, where you speak into a microphone rather than talking to a person.
If you're more comfortable speaking to a person than to a screen, that alone can be a reasonable factor in choosing IELTS, and vice versa.
Scoring
IELTS is scored on a 0-9 band scale; TOEFL on a 0-120 point scale. These aren't directly interchangeable, but most universities publish conversion tables or accept either at an equivalent threshold.
Which Countries Prefer Which
The UK, Australia, and Canada widely accept both, though IELTS has historically been more commonly requested for UK visa purposes specifically (check current UK Visas and Immigration guidance, as accepted tests can change). The US leans slightly more toward TOEFL in some institutions' preferences, though IELTS is now accepted broadly there too.
Our Recommendation
Check your specific target universities' requirements before committing to one test — preparing for the wrong one wastes valuable time. If both are accepted, choose based on which test format suits how you naturally communicate.
Need structured preparation for either test? See our English fluency and IELTS preparation services.