IELTS..? TOEFL..? TOEIC..?

What is IELTS language evaluation test? Why do new immigrants and international students have to pass this test in order to be accepted to the new country or to the university? What is the difference between IELTS and TOEFL tests? Let's get things clear.

IELTS stardartized test of Enlgish language proficiency determines your knowledge of English language in the following areas: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. It has two versions, and a student can choose which version he wants as the test. General Training version of IELTS is meant for immigrants or international workers who don't plan to study abroad. On the other hand, those who intend to enroll in the high education institutions that teach in English, or plan to continue their education through professional courses, have to take the Academic version of IELTS. Academic version is obviously more complicated and puts an emphasis on academic level texts (mainly in Reading Comprehension and Academic Writing domains). You can read more about the IELTS test in Wikipedia or at the IELTS official website.

Learning for IELTS or TOEFL exam is different from just learning to use the foreign langugage. People usually learn new language in order to communicate with other people - this is actually the main reason for learning languages. IELTS and TOEFL English language evaluation tests are meant to check your level of English language comparing to the international standarts, which are made to help your future employer or university determine if your knowledge of English is enough to be accepted by them. In the university, you'll have to read and understand complicated academic texts, as well as write your assignments using high-level English language. Can you stand it? Your IELTS test will determine that.

Many people ask, what is the difference between IELTS and TOEFL English language evaluation tests. First of all, the origin of those two tests is different. IELTS is made with the cooperation of University of Cambridge and British Council, at the same time TOEFL evaluation test was made by the American Evaluation Testing Service. In short, those are British and American versions of an internationally recognized English language evaluation test. TOEFL exam usually lasts approximately 4 hours. It also has an Internet version, which is even longer. There is also TOEFL Junior test, which evaluates knowledge of English among teenagers aged 11-14 years old. In general, TOEFL testing is more relevant for North American countries.

Speaking about the immigration process, English-speaking countries like Canada and Australia DEMAND a certain level of English language proficiency from their future residents. So, every candidate must pass the IELTS test and his mark will be a subject to the discussion during the immigration process. Thus, the future homeland receives those immigrants who are better ready for their new life and are able to communicate in the new enviroment. As we are speaking about the English language evaluation test as a part of immigration process, we will speak more specifically about the IELTS test.

How to prepare for the English language evaluation test such as IELTS? The best and the most effective way to do it is to attend specialized language courses where certified instructors teach you for the test. Most of those courses are paid, and you can find lots of different companies offering these courses in every big city. However, if you have a good proficiency in English, both spoken and written, and if you have enough self-confidence, you can prepare for the IELTS test yourself. The IELTS official website, as well as many others all over the Internet offer examples of IELTS exercises with tips and explanations.

Although both IELTS and TOEFL language evaluation tests are well-known and popular around the world, another English language test is considered to be the world's leading evaluation test. It is the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), which is commonly used by companies and orgatizations to promote, place and hire employees. This standartized English language test enables an objective and fair English language evaluation within the frames of everyday language and communication. TOEIC test is a popular tool to measure English skills of the employees among international organizations. By the way, TOEIC was primarly invented for business purposes in Japan in the 1970s. Now it is approved and used in most of the countries around the world.

TOEIC language evaluation test consists of two different tests. One of them is TOEIC Listening & Reading Test with 200 multiple choice questions that checks your listening and reading comprehension skills. This test is two hours long, and scores from 10 to 990 points, as every part of the test is worth accordingly from 5 to 445 points.

The second part of TOEIC is the Speaking & Writing Test. The student must show his abilities to present imformation in English, both in spoken and in written form. If needed, only one part of the test can be taken: speaking or writing. Each part of the test scores from 0 to 200, and the final results are also divided into 8 proficiency levels. TOEIC Writing Test is one hour long, and the Speaking Test takes about 20 minutes to complete.

So, which English language evaluation test should you take - depends on the goals of this evaluation. Go ahead, and - good luck!