International students and workers must take a standardized test of English to move into higher levels of education and employment. There are three popular tests that universities or employers can use. They are the Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL, the Test of English for International Communication, TOEIC, and the International English Language Testing System, IELTS. In most cases, the choice is clear. A student applying to a school learns which test the program requires. However, some programs or universities will accept scores from any of the international tests of English. Then, a student may choose which test to take. The TOEIC tests workplace communication The Educational Testing Service, ETS, in Princeton, New Jersey, develops and administers both the TOEFL and the TOEIC. It says the TOEIC measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment. The TOEIC test started in the 1970s. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry asked ETS to develop a test for corporations to use. They wanted to know if non-native English speakers could carry out business in English. The TOEIC is based on English used in the workplace. But the test does not require knowledge of special business words. The questions come from real situations like attending a company meeting. Organizations sometimes use the TOEIC to measure progress in English training programs. They also use it to consider people for placement at the right level in language programs. ETS says that 14,000 organizations in 150 countries use the TOEIC.

The TOEIC tests workplace communication

The Educational Testing Service, ETS, in Princeton, New Jersey, develops and administers both the TOEFL and the TOEIC. It says the TOEIC  ( toeic grammar , toeic reading , toeic listening , toeic online ) measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment.

The TOEIC test started in the 1970s. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry asked ETS to develop a test for corporations to use. They wanted to know if non-native English speakers could carry out business in English.

The TOEIC is based on English used in the workplace. But the test does not require knowledge of special business words. The questions come from real situations like attending a company meeting.

Organizations sometimes use the TOEIC to measure progress in English training programs. They also use it to consider people for placement at the right level in language programs. ETS says that 14,000 organizations in 150 countries use the TOEIC.

The TOEFL tests English used in the classroom

There are several versions of the TOEFL.

Students take the Internet-based TOEFL  (  toefl listening , toefl writing , toefl speaking , toefl reading  ) , or TOEFL IBT, on a computer. Many U.S. universities require the TOEFL IBT for international student admissions.

Another TOEFL is the paper-based TOEFL, or TOEFL ITP. It is part of ETS’s institutional testing program. TOEFL ITP is used within institutions for the purpose of placement or to evaluate progress of students. It is not accepted for entrance to universities.

For young English learners, there are two new TOEFL tests. The TOEFL Junior Test is for young people between 11 and 15 years old. And the TOEFL Primary Test is for those over the age of eight.

IELTS tests academic and general language skills

The IELTS  ( ielts online , ielts essay , ielts listening , ielts writing , ielts speaking , ielts reading , ielts listening  ) has two forms. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both forms. In the Reading and Writing sections, however, there are two different tests.

The Academic IELTS uses topics and materials covered in undergraduate, graduate, or professional programs.

The General IELTS uses topics and material from everyday books, newspapers and magazines.

Listening and responding to class discussions

Another difference between the TOEFL IBT and IELTS is the Listening section. The IELTS Listening section has four recorded monologues or conversations. The TOEFL IBT has classroom lectures by teachers and class discussions by students.

Ms. Kurniasari finds the TOEFL IBT classroom lectures and discussions harder to follow.

"Sometimes they use idioms too, to share their ideas or thoughts and we really have to know the meaning of the idioms. I think the TOEFL IBT is much more difficult than IELTS, especially the class discussion and when the lecturer explains the lesson in a class.”

Her advice is to focus and take notes as much as possible.

"We have to really concentrate, focus, of course we can take notes, but somehow it's just too fast, and somehow you cannot really memorize the things that they've said."