TOEFL vs IELTS in 2026: Score Comparison, Difficulty, and Which to Take

If you are choosing between TOEFL and IELTS in 2026, most of the comparison tables you will find are out of date. The TOEFL iBT moved to a 1-6 band scale on 21 January 2026, and nearly every "TOEFL vs IELTS score comparison" still published online converts IELTS bands into the retired 0-120 scale. ETS has already published the table that maps IELTS bands directly onto the new scale. This guide starts there, then answers the questions that actually decide the choice: which test is easier for your profile, which is accepted where, what each one costs, and how long the result lasts.

Key Takeaways

• ETS has published an official IELTS-to-TOEFL table for the new scale: IELTS 7.0 aligns with TOEFL band 5, IELTS 6.5 with band 4.5, and IELTS 6.0 with band 4 (ETS).
• The TOEFL iBT now takes about 90 minutes of test time; IELTS runs 2 hours 45 minutes (ETS, IELTS).
• TOEFL is recognised by 13,000+ institutions in 160+ countries; IELTS reports a network of 12,500+ organisations and is accepted by all four major immigration authorities (ETS, IELTS).
• For UK visa purposes, TOEFL iBT is not on the approved Secure English Language Test list. IELTS for UKVI is.
• Score reports show the 1-6 band, a CEFR level, and a comparable 0-120 score for two years from 21 January 2026, after which only the band remains (ETS).

Why Most TOEFL vs IELTS Comparisons Are Now Wrong

The 2026 redesign broke the reference point that every older comparison relies on. ETS replaced the 0-120 total with a 1-6 band scale, made Reading and Listening adaptive, and removed the integrated tasks. A page written in 2022 that tells you "IELTS 7.0 equals TOEFL 94-101" described the old test accurately, but it describes a scale that new test takers no longer receive as their headline score.

Two things follow. First, if an article compares the tests without mentioning January 2026, treat everything in it as pre-redesign. Second, be careful with AI-generated summaries on this topic. Some currently describe TOEFL as being scored "1-6 or 0-120 depending on the version you take," which is incorrect. There is one test and one scale. The 0-120 figure appears on your report only as a comparability aid during the two-year transition period, and it disappears once that period ends.

For the full picture of what changed inside the test, see our TOEFL iBT 2026 complete guide.

TOEFL vs IELTS at a Glance

Section timings and item counts for TOEFL come from ETS, which also notes that "test time and items may vary" because Reading and Listening adapt to your performance (ETS).

The single largest practical difference is duration. TOEFL now fits into a single 90-minute sitting. IELTS takes almost three hours. If you struggle to hold concentration for long sittings, that difference matters more than any content comparison.

TOEFL vs IELTS Score Comparison: The Official 2026 Table

ETS publishes a concordance for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026. This is the table to use, and it is the one almost no comparison article has picked up yet.

Source: ETS, Compare TOEFL iBT Scores, retrieved 2026-08-03. ETS builds the alignment from a concordance study against the previous TOEFL iBT plus vertical linking research, a method that connects the old and new score scales, and cautions that comparison tables "cannot predict the exact score each individual test taker would receive on two different language tests."

Read the table in the direction that matches your situation. If a university lists an IELTS requirement but has not yet updated its TOEFL entry, the table tells you which band satisfies the equivalent standard. An IELTS 6.5 requirement corresponds to TOEFL band 4.5, and an IELTS 7.0 requirement to band 5.

Translating an Old TOEFL Requirement

Plenty of programmes still publish requirements in the 0-120 scale. ETS maps those directly:

Source: ETS, TOEFL iBT Score Scale Update, retrieved 2026-08-03. ETS states that "a band score of 5 should work well for institutions that previously required a total score of 100," with 90 mapping to 4.5 and 80 to 4.

One consequence is worth flagging, because it changes the cost of falling just short. The old scale had 121 possible totals; the new one has 11 bands. A three-point gap on the old scale was often invisible to an admissions officer. A half-band gap is not. Rounding now sits between you and the requirement, so plan to clear a threshold rather than to land on it.

Which Is Easier, TOEFL or IELTS?

Neither test is easier in the abstract. The honest answer is that the 2026 redesign changed which candidate profile each test favours, so the older assumption that IELTS is easier no longer holds reliably.

TOEFL now suits you better if you type faster than you write by hand, you are comfortable speaking to a screen, you lose focus in long sittings, or you were dreading the old integrated tasks that made you read a passage, listen to a lecture, and synthesise both. Those tasks are gone. TOEFL also draws on everyday material now, not only academic passages, so a candidate with strong practical English is less penalised than before.

IELTS suits you better if you speak more fluently to a human than to a microphone, you prefer a paper option, or you want the ability to repair one weak section without resitting the whole exam. The One Skill Retake is a genuine advantage: it is available on computer-delivered IELTS, must be booked and taken within 60 days of the original test, is limited to one retake per full test, and returns results in 3 to 5 days (IELTS, retrieved 2026-08-03).

Two structural differences deserve more weight than they usually get. TOEFL Reading and Listening are adaptive, so your first module determines the difficulty of your second. Under-performing early narrows your ceiling in a way that a fixed-form test does not. Conversely, IELTS Speaking is a live conversation, which rewards candidates who can recover from a stumble and punishes those who freeze in front of a person.

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Which Test Is More Widely Accepted?

Both are accepted almost everywhere for academic admission, so the meaningful comparison is not the headline count but the specific gate you need to pass.

For university admission, ETS reports recognition by "13,000+ institutions" across "160+ countries" (ETS). IELTS reports a network of more than 12,500 organisations (IELTS). At that scale the difference is too small to matter. Check your specific programme rather than the global figure.

For immigration and visas, the gap is real. IELTS states that it is the only English test accepted by all four major immigration authorities: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The UK case is the one candidates most often get wrong. TOEFL iBT is not on the UK Home Office approved Secure English Language Test list, so a UK university may accept your TOEFL score for admission while the visa route still requires an approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, LanguageCert, or Trinity ISE.

Warning: admission acceptance and visa acceptance are separate decisions made by different bodies. A UK offer letter that accepts TOEFL does not mean the Home Office will. Confirm both before you book a test.

What Each Test Costs

Cost comparison is harder to state honestly than most articles admit, because neither provider publishes a single global price.

IELTS does publish national prices. In India, IDP lists IELTS Academic at ₹19,000 for both paper and computer formats, IELTS for UKVI at ₹19,250, and IELTS Life Skills at ₹18,000 (IDP IELTS India, retrieved 2026-08-03).

ETS does not publish a comparable table. Its fees page shows the registration fee only after you select a testing location, which is why third-party sites quote figures for the United States that range from roughly $200 to $270. We will not repeat a number we cannot verify at source: check the price for your country on the ETS registration site before you budget.

The add-on fees ETS does publish are worth knowing, because a change of plan is where the cost actually appears:

Source: ETS, TOEFL iBT Test Registration Fee, retrieved 2026-08-03. Prices exclude VAT and other applicable taxes outside the EU.

Sending scores to extra institutions at $29 each raises the total quickly. Both tests let you nominate a set of recipients when you register, so decide your shortlist before test day rather than after.

How Long Do the Scores Last?

TOEFL scores are reported for two years from the test date, after which ETS no longer sends them. IELTS results are conventionally treated as valid for two years as well, though the receiving institution sets the rule and some accept older results with supporting evidence.

The 2026 transition adds a detail specific to TOEFL. A score you earn early in the transition arrives with the band, the CEFR level, and a comparable 0-120 figure. Send that same score after the two-year window closes, which by ETS's stated timing falls in early 2028, and the institution may only have the band to work with. If you are applying across multiple admission cycles, keep a copy of the full report.

Which Test Is Better for Europe?

For European applications, the 2026 redesign gives TOEFL a small structural advantage: the score report now carries a CEFR level directly, and the band scale was built to align with it. European institutions and employers usually state requirements in CEFR terms, typically B2 for undergraduate entry and C1 for postgraduate or professional registration.

That maps cleanly. TOEFL band 4 and 4.5 sit in B2; bands 5 and 5.5 sit in C1; band 6 is C2 (ETS). An IELTS band still needs a second conversion step to reach CEFR, which introduces room for disagreement between you and an admissions office.

The advantage is administrative, not academic. If your target country runs an immigration route with its own approved test list, that list overrides the convenience of a CEFR label.

How to Decide in Five Minutes

Work through these in order and stop at the first one that applies.

1. Does your route need a visa-approved test? If the destination is the UK and you need a Student or Skilled Worker visa, take IELTS for UKVI or another approved SELT. Decision made.
2. Does your programme list only one test? Take that one. Do not rely on a conversion table if the institution has not invited one.
3. Do you need a single-section repair option? Only IELTS offers it, and only on computer.
4. Do you speak better to a person or a microphone? This is the difference candidates most often underestimate.
5. Can you sustain focus for nearly three hours? If not, TOEFL's 90 minutes is the practical choice.

If nothing above separates them, take a timed practice section of each and compare how you felt, not just what you scored. How a test format suits you predicts test-day performance better than a diagnostic score does.

Frequently Asked Questions

What TOEFL band is equal to IELTS 7?

TOEFL band 5. ETS aligns IELTS 7.0 with an overall TOEFL band of 5 on the scale used for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 (ETS). On the retired 0-120 scale, IELTS 7.0 corresponded to roughly 94-101, which is why older articles still quote that range.

Is TOEFL easier than IELTS in 2026?

It depends on your profile rather than on the tests. The 2026 TOEFL removed integrated tasks and is about 90 minutes long, which helps candidates who lose focus in long sittings. IELTS keeps a live Speaking interview and offers a single-section retake, which helps candidates who perform better with a human examiner or want to fix one weak skill.

Can I use a TOEFL score for a UK visa?

No. TOEFL iBT is not on the UK Home Office approved Secure English Language Test list. A UK university may still accept TOEFL for admission, but the visa application itself requires an approved SELT such as IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, LanguageCert Academic SELT, or Trinity ISE.

My university lists a TOEFL requirement of 100. What band do I need now?

Band 5. ETS states that a band score of 5 "should work well for institutions that previously required a total score of 100," with 90 mapping to band 4.5 and 80 to band 4 (ETS). If the requirement is borderline, ask the admissions office to confirm rather than assuming the conversion.

Which test gives results faster?

TOEFL, marginally. ETS advertises results "in as little as 3 days" (ETS). Computer-delivered IELTS returns results in 3 to 5 days (IELTS). Paper-based IELTS takes considerably longer, so choose the computer format if your deadline is tight.

Read the full TOEFL FAQ →

Next Steps

The choice between TOEFL and IELTS in 2026 comes down to three checks: whether your route requires a visa-approved test, what your target institution actually lists, and which test format suits how you perform under time pressure. Everything else, including the score conversion, is administration you can look up.

If TOEFL is the right fit, the fastest way to find out where you stand is a timed section under real conditions. Start with Speaking, since the recorded interview format is what surprises most candidates coming from an IELTS mindset.

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