FAQs - TOEFL/TSE vs IELTS
This is a very basic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page which attempts to answer some of the more commonly asked questions. Just click a question to read the answer.
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TOEFL/TSE vs. IELTS
For students, nurses, and others who have a need to take an English language proficiency test, and who have a choice between TOEFL/TSE and the IELTS, making that choice can be difficult. Cost is certainly a factor, and that factor alone weighs the decision in favor of the IELTS for those in Asia. However, in the grand scheme of things, cost is not all that important. The English proficiency hurdle is the portal to a candidate's future life. It might not be wise to let cost alone dictate which test a candidate will take.
How should one go about making that decision? Good question, and one that has many answers.
First of all, it is almost mandatory for candidates to take both sample TOEFL and IELTS tests. The TOEFL test is free, if you can get a copy of the program. The IELTS sample test must be purchased. No matter - both should be taken. The reason for taking both sample tests is to determine a number of factors:
1) To familiarize the candidate with each test;
2) To assess which test the candidate will most likely score higher on;
3) To determine which test is more "friendly" to the candidate.
In any event, the TOEFL practice test score is important no matter what test the candidate eventually takes. Use a score of 250 as the cut-off point. Below that number the candidate should take the TOEFL/TSE regime. Above 250 indicates that the candidate has a proficiency level in English reading, writing, and listening to enable at least a 6.5 average on the IELTS, making that a good choice.
Second, if the candidate has taken the TOEFL and scored higher than 245-255 on the CBT, but failed the TSE one or more times, changing to the IELTS might be a very good choice. (Making this change assumes a few factors:
1) That the candidate has already taken the TOEFL but is having significant problems with the TSE - a common situation with many healthcare professionals;
2) The candidate is frightened, disturbed, or angry at having to take the TSE again;
3) The candidate is above-average in intelligence).
However, switching "horses in mid-stream" is in most cases not a good idea. If a candidate has initially chosen the TOEFL/TSE, passed the TOEFL, and is now struggling with the TSE, it is usually better just to determine what is going wrong with the TSE test-taking and correct that deficiency. The majority of the problems with "passing" the TSE are rooted in the candidate not understanding what the test is all about and they practice the wrong things.
Third, if the candidate has taken the TOEFL and scored less than 230 the prospects of them passing the IELTS are poor. It is much more prudent for the candidate to keep pursuing the TSE. The IELTS, overall, is simply much more demanding than the TOEFL/TSE. However, on a head-to-head basis, the IELTS speaking module is slightly easier to "pass" than the TSE for most Asian candidates. The problem with the IELTS lay in the fact that the reading, writing, and listening modules are more difficult to "pass" than their TOEFL counterparts. Failure to reach a 6.5 level of overall proficiency on the IELTS means that the entire test (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) must be taken again. Scores on individual modules cannot be "saved" to be used at a later time. It is all or nothing.
Fourth, if the candidate has failed the TOEFL one or more times the prospects of them ever reaching a proficiency level to obtain a passing score on either the TSE or the IELTS are very poor. In most cases these individuals have also had problems in passing their local board exams, the CGFNS, and will probably have trouble with NCLEX. Their future most likely lies in their practicing their profession in their native country.
ESL Seminars, shared their experience and noted that the IELTS is wonderful in many cases. If the candidate is above-average in intelligence, there are usually few problems with the IELTS. That is, if adequate preparation is allowed for. On the other hand, a passing score on TOEFL is achieved by the vast majority of those who take it. Intelligence allows for a higher score on the TOEFL, but even those with average-intelligence levels and relatively modest preparation efforts seem to score above the 207 level necessary for visa screening. In regard to the speaking tests, the IELTS demands a significant demonstration of intelligence. The TSE, on the other hand, seems to penalize those who strive to show off their intelligence. The TSE measures a "skill", not intelligence, and that is what causes the vast majority of problems with candidates taking the TSE. Brain-power cannot be used to "bully" one's self to a passing score on the TSE. Cleverness, or brain-power, can be used to manipulate the IELTS rater into assessing one's English speaking proficiency at a higher level - if the candidate is aware of how to do that.
To summarize, it is almost mandatory that candidates take both IELTS and TOEFL sample tests. How well they perform on those tests should be the guiding factor in determining which actual test regime should be followed. In cases where the TOEFL/TSE regime has been initiated and subsequently problems experienced with the TSE portion, it is the intelligence level of the individual candidate that should dictate if a switch should be made to the IELTS.
Source: article entitled Nurses Looking to Work Abroad – IELTS or TOEFL/TSE by James A. Rarick at www.employment-careers.press-world.com