TOEFL? IELTS? What about Duolingo? What is the best English exam for university admissions? When it comes to English proficiency tests, there’s definitely more than one option. Deciding which one is best for you comes down to a lot of different factors. Join us today for the low-down on what makes these tests tick.
TOEFL Basics
Along with the IELTS exam, which we’ll discuss later, the TOEFL exam is one of the most common English proficiency exams. Standing for Test of English as a Foreign Language, the TOEFL is an approximately 4 hour test developed by ETS. It tests your reading, speaking, listening, and writing in four independent sections.
- Reading: 36-56 questions, lasting between 60 and 80 minutes
- Listening: 34-51 questions, lasting between 60-90 minutes
- Speaking: 6 tasks, lasting 20 minutes
- Writing: 2 tasks, lasting 50 minutes
Who accepts the TOEFL? How much does the TOEFL cost?
The TOEFL is accepted by thousands of schools worldwide. Schools in the United States tend to prefer TOEFL scores, although many will also accept the IELTS exam. Be sure to verify with any school you want to apply to!
The cost of taking the TOEFL varies by location, but is usually around $200 USD. You may send your TOEFL scores to up to four schools for free. However, you must pay an additional $20 to send scores to any additional schools.
Will I do well on the TOEFL?
Each of these tests have a unique design. Here are some things to consider when choosing the TOEFL. The Reading and Listening sections are multiple choice. Because of this, students might be tempted to think this makes the TOEFL easier than the written IELTS exam. However, these distractors, or incorrect answers, will be written in hopes of tripping up students who are struggling to comprehend or weren’t paying enough attention. Additionally, the TOEFL Reading section uses only academic texts, as opposed to the IELTS exam, which uses academic texts as well as passages from newspapers and magazines. The spoken tasks are also recorded and graded later, which might benefit students who are shy about having a full conversation. The Writing section of the TOEFL also asks for approximately 500 words in their 50 minute section, whereas the IELTS exam gives 60 minutes for approximately 400 words.
What’s a good score on the TOEFL?
The TOEFL consists of four scores out of 30, added up to a total score of 120. ETS, the company that produces the TOEFL, classes scores as the following:
| Level | Reading | Listening | Speaking | Writing |
| Proficient (C1) | 24-30 | 22-30 | 25-30 | 24-30 |
| Upper Intermediate (B2) | 18-23 | 17-21 | 20-24 | 17-23 |
| Intermediate (B1) | 4-17 | 9-16 | 16-19 | 13-16 |
| Below Low-Intermediate | 0-3 | 0-8 | Basic (A2): 10-15 Below: 0-9 | Basic (A2): 7-12 Below: 0-6 |
However, ultimately, a good TOEFL score is the score that gets you into the college you want! Be sure to check with the admissions department. Below, we’ve provided some samples:
| Type of School | Example of School | Recommended TOEFL Score |
| Community College | Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA) | 38 |
| State Public University | Penn State University | 80 |
| Private College | Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA) | 100 |
| Elite (Ivy League) University | Yale University (New Haven, CT) | 100 |
IELTS Basics
The International English Language Testing System is available in two formats: IELTS Academic, for those planning to study at a university level in English, and IELTS General Training, which focuses on the workplace. We’ll be talking about the IELTS Academic in this article. It’s one of the most common English proficiency exams along with the TOEFL exam. This roughly two hour and 45 minute test uses British English and tests reading, listening, writing and speaking. The speaking test can be taken up to a week before or after the remaining exams.
- Reading: 40 questions, 30 minutes
- Listening: 40 questions, 60 minutes
- Writing: 2 tasks, 60 minutes
- Speaking: 3 tasks, 11-14 minutes
Who accepts the IELTS exams? How much does the IELTS cost?
The IELTS exam is accepted by thousands of schools worldwide. It is the primary English proficiency exam accepted by the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. It is also accepted by many U.S. institutions instead of the TOEFL. Be sure to verify with any school you plan to apply to!
The cost of the IELTS exams varies by country. In the United States, the IELTS exam costs between $215-240. You can send your scores to up to four colleges for free, but must pay to send your score reports to other institutions.
Will I do well on the IELTS exam?
Each of these tests have a unique design. Here are some things to consider when choosing the IELTS exam. For the Reading and Listening section, students have to write the majority of their answers. While this does mean the student has to be aware of spelling and grammar mistakes, the questions tend to be somewhat simpler. Additionally, the IELTS exam uses not only academic texts, but also magazines and newspapers, so a student should consider what kind of English texts they are already used to reading and understanding.
Moreover, the Writing section is 60 minutes and requires 400 words, giving you both more time and recommending less writing than the TOEFL. Finally, the largest difference between the IELTs exam and other English proficiency exams, however, is the Speaking section. The speaking section is administered in person rather than recorded, and can be taken up to a week before or after the test. For students who thrive in real conversation, or who struggle with test taking stamina, this can be a plus.
What is a good IELTS score?
The IELTS exams are scored from 0-9 in Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, averaged to create a total score of 9. The organization that produces the IELTS exam matches their scores to CEFR ratings as follows.
| Level | Score |
| Proficient User (C1-C2) | 7-9 |
| Upper Intermediate User (B2) | 5.5-6.5 |
| Intermediate User (B1) | 4.5-5 |
| Lower than Intermediate (A2 or below) | 0-4 |
However, ultimately, a good IELTS score is the score that gets you into the college you want! Be sure to check with the admissions department. Below, we’ve provided some samples:
| Type of School | Example of School | Recommended IELTS Score |
| Community College | Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA) | 5 |
| State Public University | Penn State University | 6.5 |
| Private College | Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA) | 7 |
| Elite (Ivy League) University | Yale University (New Haven, CT) | 7 |
Duolingo Basics
As students struggle to deal with test cancellations due to COVID-19, a new alternative has cropped up as far as English proficiency tests. Duolingo (yes, like the app!) has recently debuted an English proficiency exam. This test is adaptive, meaning that the questions get hard as you continue to get them right, and consists of a five minute introduction, a 45 minute test, and then a 10 minute video interview.
Who Accepts Duolingo? How much does the Duolingo exam cost?
In response to COVID-19, more and more universities are accepting the Duolingo test, as it allows students to demonstrate English proficiency from the safety of their homes. Currently, over 1,000 universities and colleges accept this exam. We recommend consulting Duolingo’s website to see the list and then confirming with the admissions department.
One of the advantages of the Duolingo test is that it only costs $49, and your scores can be sent to as many colleges and universities as you want with no additional fee.
Will I do well on the Duolingo test?
Each of these tests have a unique design, so here are some things to consider when choosing the Duolingo exam. The Duolingo test is notably different from the IELTs or TOEFL exam. Firstly, it is significantly shorter and taken at home, which might be a boon for students who struggle with testing stamina or might be shy taking a test around others. However, Duolingo questions vary wildly from the traditional standardized test questions, so definitely take their tutorial test first! Students who do well in traditional schoolwork may find that the TOEFL or IELTS exams plays more to their strengths. The sections are also combined—you might answer a speaking question and then a listening one.
What is a good Duolingo score?
Duolingo is an adaptive test. Students receive one score between 10-160, which may be broken into subscores of Conversation (blended Speaking and Listening,) Comprehension (blended Reading and Listening), Literacy (blended Reading and Writing), and Production (blended Writing and Speaking.)
Duolingo classes its scores according to the CEFR framework as follows:
| CEFR Level | Duolingo Score |
| A1 (Basic) | 10-20 |
| A2 (Upper Basic) | 25-55 |
| B1 (Intermediate) | 60-85 |
| B2 (Upper Intermediate) | 90-115 |
| C1 (Proficient) | 120-140 |
| C2 (Mastery) | 145-160 |
However, ultimately, a good Duolingo score is the score that gets you into the college you want! Be sure to check with the admissions department, especially for Duolingo. This is a relatively new test, which some universities are piloting as a possible alternative. After COVID-19, some schools may stop accepting these test results. Below, we’ve provided some samples:
| Type of School | Example of School | Recommended Duolingo Score |
| Community College | Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA) | 75 |
| State Public University | Penn State University | 120* temporarily accepted spring, summer, fall 2021 |
| Private College | Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA) | 120 |
| Elite (Ivy League) University | Yale University (New Haven, CT) | 120 |
How do I study for the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam?
In all of these cases, making sure that you regularly practice and use your English skills is the best practice you can get. There are also many preparatory materials and practice tests available. You might also consider working with a tutor or test preparation classes. Reach out to us to see what classes are enrolling now!
Wait, what about the Cambridge English Assessment, Michigan English Test, Pearson Test of English or…
There are many other English proficiency exams. Consult with the admissions department to see which tests are accepted or send us an email to see if one of these might be the best for you instead!
