IELTS vs TOEFL: which English test each destination accepts

IELTS and TOEFL both test academic English in four skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. Most comparisons stop at format and difficulty. For an international student, the bigger question is who accepts the test, and for what.

You may send one English score to three different readers:

• the university, which sets its own minimum for admission;
• the visa office, which may only accept certain tests, taken in certain places;
• a work permit office after you graduate, which can have a third set of rules.

A test that one reader accepts can be useless to the next. This guide compares the two tests, then shows what each destination’s official page accepts. Every rule below was checked on 18 October 2026 and links to its source.

The short answer

• For a UK Student visa that needs a test, the test must be on the UK government’s approved list. IELTS for UKVI is on it. TOEFL is not.
• For a Canadian work permit after graduation, IRCC accepts IELTS General Training, CELPIP General and PTE Core for English. It does not list TOEFL or IELTS Academic.
• For an Australian Student visa, both IELTS and TOEFL iBT appear on the government’s list, taken at a test centre.
• For admission to a US university, the university sets its own rule and its own list of tests.

If you only remember one thing: check the visa route and your later plans before you book, not only the university.

IELTS and TOEFL at a glance

Sources: IELTS Academic test (opens in a new tab) and IELTS scoring in detail (opens in a new tab), TOEFL iBT test content (opens in a new tab) and TOEFL iBT scores (opens in a new tab), all checked 18 Oct 2026.

Enlarge: The entrance to an IELTS test centre in a university corridor: open grey doors, notice boards and exam posters along a brick wall

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Fig. 1 An IELTS test centre at a Beijing university Photo: N509FZ, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), resized, converted to WebP.

IELTS in more detail

IELTS has four versions. IELTS Academic is for study at undergraduate or postgraduate level and for professional registration. IELTS General Training is for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the UK, and for study below degree level. IELTS for UKVI is the version the UK government approves as a Secure English Language Test (SELT). IELTS for UKVI Life Skills tests speaking and listening only (IELTS test types (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026).

Academic and General Training share the same Listening and Speaking tests. Reading and Writing differ. The timing for Academic is about 30 minutes for Listening, 60 for Reading, 60 for Writing and 11 to 14 for Speaking.

Each section gets a band score. The overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. IELTS also notes that General Training Reading usually needs more correct answers than Academic Reading for the same band.

TOEFL iBT in more detail

The TOEFL iBT changed in January 2026. ETS lists these sections:

• Reading: 50 items, about 30 minutes;
• Listening: 47 items, about 29 minutes;
• Writing: 12 items, about 23 minutes;
• Speaking: 11 items, about 8 minutes.

The test adapts as you go, so the number of items and the time can vary. ETS asks you to allow about two hours.

Scores arrive in your ETS account 3 days after the test. Your fee includes up to four free score reports, if you add the recipients by 10 p.m. on test day. Each extra report costs US$25.

Which is easier?

ETS sets no pass mark: it says each institution sets its own score requirement. IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9. So “easier” means “easier for you”, and the format decides it more than the content.

Points that often matter:

• Length. TOEFL takes about two hours. IELTS Academic takes 2 hours 45 minutes.
• Adaptive timing. TOEFL adapts to your answers, so the number of items and the time can vary.
• Speaking. TOEFL Speaking is about 8 minutes of short tasks, such as “Listen and Repeat” and “Take an Interview”. IELTS Speaking lasts 11 to 14 minutes.
• Task types. TOEFL now includes short tasks such as “Complete the Words” and “Build a Sentence”. Look at both sample tests before you decide.

Enlarge: Bar chart of minutes per section. Reading: IELTS Academic 60, TOEFL iBT 30. Listening: 30 and 29. Writing: 60 and 23. Speaking: IELTS 11 to 14, TOEFL 8.

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Fig. 2 Minutes per section, IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT Source: IELTS and ETS, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

ETS offers a free, self-paced TOEFL sample test (opens in a new tab) of about 40 minutes (TOEFL iBT (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). IELTS publishes sample questions on its site. Try one of each under timed conditions. The test you score higher on is the easier test for you.

Score comparison: how the TOEFL scales line up

Since 21 January 2026, a TOEFL score report gives four section scores and an overall score on a 1 to 6 scale. For a two-year transition, it also shows a comparable total on the old 0 to 120 scale. ETS publishes how the two scales match for tests taken before the change:

Enlarge: Bar chart: TOEFL band 6 matches a 0 to 120 total of 114 or more, 5.5 matches 107, 5 matches 95, 4.5 matches 86, 4 matches 72, 3.5 matches 58 and 3 matches 44.

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Fig. 3 TOEFL 1–6 bands and the matching 0–120 totals Source: ETS, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

ETS adds that institutions are updating their requirements at different times. Some still list a 0 to 120 minimum. Your official score report carries both numbers, so you can meet either format without converting anything yourself.

“What is IELTS 7.5 in TOEFL?” The official pages checked for this guide do not publish a joint IELTS-to-TOEFL table agreed by both test owners. Universities publish their own pairs instead. Bowling Green State University in the US, for example, puts IELTS 7.5 next to TOEFL 101–120 in its scholarship table (BGSU (opens in a new tab), checked 18 Oct 2026). Another university may draw the line in a different place. Use the pair that your own university publishes.

Which test is more accepted? It depends on the reader

This is where most comparisons go wrong. A university can accept a test that the visa office does not, and the reverse.

Sources, all checked 18 Oct 2026: gov.uk, approved SELTs (opens in a new tab) (page updated 12 Oct 2026); gov.uk, Student visa knowledge of English (opens in a new tab); IRCC, study permit documents (opens in a new tab); IRCC, PGWP eligibility (opens in a new tab) and PGWP language levels (opens in a new tab); Study Australia, approved English tests (opens in a new tab); ETS, TOEFL scores (opens in a new tab).

Enlarge: Table of tests named by each route. UK Student visa with a SELT: IELTS for UKVI yes, TOEFL not listed. Canada post-graduation work permit: IELTS General Training yes, TOEFL not listed. Australia Student visa: IELTS Academic or General Training yes, TOEFL iBT yes.

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Fig. 4 Which test each visa route names Source: gov.uk, IRCC and Home Affairs, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Three details deserve a second look.

The UK exemptions. You may not need a test at all. The gov.uk page exempts nationals of listed countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. A degree taught in English can also count, with an assessment from Ecctis.

Australia. The Department of Home Affairs lists the same tests on its Student visa page, which also asks TOEFL candidates to select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when they register (Home Affairs, Student visa (opens in a new tab), updated 12 Oct 2026). Confirm the list there before you book.

Canada after graduation. The work permit rule is the one that surprises students. A TOEFL or IELTS Academic score that got you into a Canadian university does not meet the work permit language requirement. You need one of the three listed tests, at the right level, in all four skills.

Enlarge: Bar chart of the minimum IELTS General Training bands for Canada's post-graduation work permit. CLB 7: reading 6.0, writing 6.0, listening 6.0, speaking 6.0. CLB 5: reading 4.0, writing 5.0, listening 5.0, speaking 5.0.

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Fig. 5 IELTS General Training bands for PGWP CLB 7 and CLB 5 Source: IRCC, checked 18 Oct 2026 (opens in a new tab)

So the honest answer to “which is more accepted” is: neither, everywhere. Universities set their own lists, and TOEFL iBT is on the Australian Student visa list. IELTS has the versions that the UK SELT list and the Canadian work permit name. Which one is “more accepted” depends on your route.

Academic, General Training or UKVI?

If you choose IELTS, pick the version by purpose:

• Admission to a degree: IELTS Academic, unless your university says otherwise.
• A UK visa route that needs a SELT: IELTS for UKVI, at an approved test location. The ordinary IELTS Academic is not the version on the SELT list.
• A Canadian work permit after graduation: IELTS General Training.
• An Australian Student visa: Academic or General Training, at a test centre.

Some students need two tests over their study journey: one for admission and one for a later permit. Plan for that cost early.

Home and online tests

Home testing is convenient, but acceptance varies. ETS offers the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. The UK SELT list includes Pearson’s PTE Home. Study Australia, by contrast, states that Home Affairs does not accept at-home or online tests for the Student visa, and it names TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and IELTS Online among them.

Before you book a home test, find the exact test name on the official list for your purpose.

How to choose: a checklist

1. List every reader. Write down each university, the visa route and any permit you plan to apply for after graduation.
2. Open each official page. Note the accepted tests, the minimum overall score and the minimum per skill.
3. Check the version. Some purposes need a named version, such as IELTS for UKVI or TOEFL iBT for Australia.
4. Check the place. The UK needs an approved test location. Australia needs a secure test centre.
5. Check the dates. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years. The UK accepts a SELT awarded in the 2 years before you apply.
6. Try both formats. Take a free sample test of each and compare your results.
7. Book early. Leave time for a retake before your deadlines.

Questions this guide does not answer

Some search results ask whether you can buy an IELTS or TOEFL certificate without sitting the test. You cannot do this legally: a bought or fake result is fraud. IELTS runs a results verification service (opens in a new tab) for organisations, so a receiving university or office can check a result with the test owner.

Visa decisions depend on your full case. If your situation is not simple, talk to a regulated immigration adviser. In the UK, the Immigration Advice Authority regulates immigration advisers. This guide is general information, not advice; see our disclaimer.

Sources

1. TOEFL iBT test content (opens in a new tab), ETS. Checked 18 October 2026.
2. Understanding your TOEFL iBT scores (opens in a new tab), ETS. Checked 18 October 2026.
3. TOEFL iBT (opens in a new tab), ETS. Checked 18 October 2026.
4. IELTS test types (opens in a new tab) and IELTS Academic test (opens in a new tab), IELTS. Checked 18 October 2026.
5. IELTS scoring in detail (opens in a new tab), IELTS. Checked 18 October 2026.
6. Prove your English language abilities with a SELT (opens in a new tab), UK Visas and Immigration. Page updated 12 October 2026, checked 18 October 2026.
7. Student visa: knowledge of English (opens in a new tab), UK Home Office. Checked 18 October 2026.
8. Study permit: get the right documents (opens in a new tab), IRCC. Page dated 6 October 2026, checked 18 October 2026.
9. Post-graduation work permit: who can apply (opens in a new tab) and find your language level (opens in a new tab), IRCC. Pages dated 24 June 2026 and 27 May 2026, checked 18 October 2026.
10. Language testing organisations (opens in a new tab), Study Australia (Australian Government). Checked 18 October 2026.
11. Tuition and scholarships, international students (opens in a new tab), Bowling Green State University. Checked 18 October 2026.
12. Student visa (subclass 500) (opens in a new tab), Department of Home Affairs. Page updated 12 October 2026, checked 18 October 2026.
13. TOEFL iBT testing options (opens in a new tab), ETS. Checked 18 October 2026.
14. Prepare for the TOEFL iBT test (opens in a new tab), ETS. Checked 18 October 2026.
15. Verifying IELTS results (opens in a new tab), IELTS. Checked 18 October 2026.