TOEFL vs IELTS in 2026: Which Should Indian Students Take for the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia?

Take the test the page in front of you names. For a US university, that is usually TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic, and sometimes either. For a UK Student visa, a standard TOEFL iBT is not a SELT; IELTS for UKVI is. For Canada, a university may ask for either test for admission, but Express Entry and the post-graduation work permit list name IELTS General Training, not TOEFL iBT and not IELTS Academic. For an Australian visa, both can count at a secure centre, and TOEFL only if you register as Taking TOEFL for Australia. Home Edition and IELTS Online are not accepted for that visa.

KS Institute does not run either exam. Classes are TOEFL coaching and IELTS coaching.

| | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic | | --- | --- | --- | | Sitting | One computer test, at a centre or at home with a live proctor. Allow about two hours. No scheduled break. | About 2 hours 45 minutes, at a centre or remotely online. | | Speaking | Listen and Repeat, and Take an Interview, on the computer. About 8 minutes. | 11 to 14 minutes, face to face with an examiner, recorded. | | Score | From 21 January 2026: 1 to 6 in half points. A comparable 0 to 120 overall stays on the report for two years. | 0 to 9. Overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded to the nearest half band. | | Results | About 3 days in the ETS account. Valid 2 years from the test date. | Computer and UKVI: 1 to 5 days. IELTS Online: 6 to 8 days. IELTS recommends two years. | | India exam fee | Registration ₹15,729 on the ETS India fees page. Other service fees are separate lines there. | IDP India lists computer and paper at INR 19,000, and IELTS for UKVI at INR 19,250. Pay the booking screen. |

Format

The TOEFL iBT content page lists Reading, Listening, Writing, then Speaking. Base times are about 30, 29, 23 and 8 minutes, with 50, 47, 12 and 11 items. Directions are extra. ETS says to allow about two hours, and that time and items may vary because the test adapts. The same page names the tasks in each section, including Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview for speaking. You sit the test at an authorised centre or at home with a live proctor. The Information Bulletin says there is no scheduled break.

IELTS Academic is the module for undergraduate or postgraduate study, and for professional registration. It takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, at a centre or remotely online. Listening is about 30 minutes, Reading 60 minutes including transfer time, Writing 60 minutes, and Speaking 11 to 14 minutes. Listening and Speaking match General Training. Reading and Writing do not. That split is in IELTS General Training vs Academic. The speaking page says it is a recorded face-to-face interview in three parts. TOEFL speaking stays on the computer.

Scores and how long they last

From 21 January 2026, the ETS score page uses 1 to 6, in half points, for each section and the overall score. The overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. An average of 5.25 is an overall score of 5.5. For two years after January 2026 the report also shows a comparable 0 to 120 overall score, the midpoint of the matching range. If a university still prints a 0 to 120 cutoff, use the number on the report. Do not convert a 1 to 6 score into an IELTS band. They are different scales.

Scores reach the ETS account about 3 days later and stay valid for 2 years from the test date. The fee includes up to four score reports, which you can change until 10pm local test centre time on the day before the test. The bulletin says only tests from before 21 January 2026, and TOEFL iBT Australia, are currently approved for Australian visas. Those Australia scores take about 4 to 8 days.

On the IELTS scoring page, the overall band is the average of the four skills. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band. An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. IELTS recommends treating a result as valid for two years, and says an organisation may accept it for longer. The results page gives computer and UKVI results in 1 to 5 days, and IELTS Online in 6 to 8 days. You receive a Test Report Form.

Fees on the official pages

The ETS India fees page lists TOEFL iBT registration at ₹15,729. Late registration, rescheduling, a score review, and other services are separate lines on that page. Those are exam fees, not a class fee.

The IDP India booking page lists IELTS on computer and on paper at INR 19,000, IELTS for UKVI at INR 19,250, IELTS Life Skills (A1 and B1) at INR 18,000, and One Skill Retake at INR 12,650. Pay the amount on the booking screen for the module you selected. A centre page can show a different figure.

United States

Open the university English requirement and take the name it prints. TOEFL iBT if it says TOEFL iBT. IELTS Academic if it says IELTS Academic. If it accepts either, choose the speaking format you can do: a microphone in one sitting, or an examiner. This guide does not state US visa rules, fees, or wait times. Student visa instructions are on travel.state.gov.

Canada

A Canadian university sets the admission test. The study permit page tells you to ask the school about language tests. The Student Direct Stream ended at 2:00 p.m. ET on 8 November 2024. Do not treat an old SDS cutoff as a current rule.

The Express Entry language page accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, and PTE Core. It tells you to take IELTS General Training, and it does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake. It does not list TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic. Results must be less than two years old when you complete the profile and when you apply for permanent residence.

The PGWP documents page lists the same three English tests where proof of language is required, taken in person, less than two years old. A university TOEFL score does not replace that list. Format and CLB rows are in CELPIP vs IELTS vs PTE for Canada PR.

United Kingdom

Admission and the Student visa are separate. A university may ask for IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT. The visa follows gov.uk. You prove English with a listed qualification, a degree taught in English, or a Secure English Language Test. Degree level or above is CEFR B2. Below degree level is B1. A Higher Education Provider can assess degree-level English itself, including with a different test, still at B2.

The SELT page, updated 2 November 2026, names the providers. Outside the UK they are PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT, and Pearson. The IELTS names are IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills. A Student application needs reading, writing, speaking and listening. Book the four-skill SELT for that route, IELTS for UKVI, at an approved location. The result must be awarded in the two years before the application. TOEFL is not on the provider list. IDP India prints IELTS for UKVI at INR 19,250.

Australia

For tests on or after 7 August 2025, the Home Affairs English page accepts secure-centre scores from IELTS Academic and General Training, including One Skill Retake, and from TOEFL iBT. You must select Taking TOEFL for Australia when you register. The page does not accept tests taken completely online. It names IELTS Online and TOEFL iBT Home Edition.

Study Australia says the Australia TOEFL option uses a 0 to 120 scale. The ETS bulletin limits Australian visa use to tests taken before 21 January 2026 and to TOEFL iBT Australia. Plan the visa on that report, not on a 1 to 6 score from the standard test.

The 5 August 2025 student-visa instrument prints IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 67 as the standard minimum, 5.5 or 51 with 10 weeks of ELICOS or a listed foundation or pathway, and 5.0 or 37 with 20 weeks of ELICOS. Those TOEFL numbers are 0 to 120 totals. Confirm the current visa page before you pay.

Which one to book

Book TOEFL iBT when the university names it. Use the Australia centre registration if the visa is the reason. Book IELTS Academic when the university names it, or when you want an examiner for speaking. Book IELTS General Training for Express Entry or the PGWP list, and IELTS for UKVI when the UK visa needs a SELT. If a page accepts both TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic, choose by the speaking format.

KS Institute has taught in Pune since 2005. Director Gagan Daga teaches every batch, in groups of 8 to 10, at E1502, Mystic Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune 411057, and live online. Counselling is free. Say which test the official page names, and whether you can reach Hinjewadi. Call 9823397800 or WhatsApp 9823397800. You can also call 9823833280 or email ksinstitute@gmail.com. Enquiries are answered daily from 8am to 10pm.

Frequently asked questions

Should Indian students take TOEFL or IELTS in 2026?

Take the test the university or visa page names. TOEFL iBT is one computer test of about two hours. IELTS Academic is about 2 hours 45 minutes, with a face-to-face speaking test. A UK Student visa SELT is IELTS for UKVI, not TOEFL. Canadian Express Entry and the PGWP language list name IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, and PTE Core.

What changed on the TOEFL iBT in January 2026?

From 21 January 2026 the scores are 1 to 6, in half points. The overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. An average of 5.25 is 5.5. For two years the report also shows a comparable 0 to 120 overall score. Allow about two hours. There is no scheduled break.

Does Canada accept TOEFL for Express Entry or a post-graduation work permit?

No. Both pages list CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, and PTE Core. Express Entry does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake, and neither page lists TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic. A university can still ask for TOEFL or IELTS Academic for admission. The Student Direct Stream ended on 8 November 2024.

Is TOEFL a UK Student visa English test?

Not as a SELT. The approved providers do not include ETS. A Student visa that uses a SELT needs all four skills, and the IELTS test for that is IELTS for UKVI, awarded in the two years before the application. A degree-level provider may assess English itself, still at CEFR B2.

Can I use the TOEFL Home Edition or IELTS Online for an Australian visa?

No. Home Affairs does not accept fully online tests, including TOEFL iBT Home Edition and IELTS Online. Register as Taking TOEFL for Australia and sit at a secure centre if you use TOEFL. That option is scored 0 to 120. IELTS Academic and General Training at a secure centre are accepted, including One Skill Retake.

What fees do the official India pages print?

ETS India lists TOEFL iBT registration at ₹15,729. IDP India lists IELTS on computer and on paper at INR 19,000, and IELTS for UKVI at INR 19,250. Pay the booking screen. Those figures are exam fees, not a coaching fee.

How do I book free counselling?

KS Institute prepares you for the named test. It does not run the exam. The classroom is E1502, Mystic Megapolis, Hinjewadi Phase 3, Pune 411057, and the courses are also live online. Director Gagan Daga teaches every batch of 8 to 10. Call or WhatsApp 9823397800, call 9823833280, or email ksinstitute@gmail.com. Daily 8am to 10pm. Counselling is free.