English is a compulsion for scholars who wish to study in a foreign country. Therefore, it is a universal language. Universities overseas follow instructions of the global education system, which decides on the basis of your marks in standardised exams intended to check your language smoothness.

There are mainly three standardised English language exams that are extensively recognized in most foreign universities i.e. IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE. While all three of them assess your English language skills based on four factors of Listening, Writing, Reading, and Speaking, the ongoing discussion of which exam to take has become an unresolved point among candidates. Before landing on any decision, it is important that we study our requirements or preferences.

Experts at IMA have closely examined the factors and listed them for you to think through before zeroing in on which exam to take up. Still, if you have any doubt, you can connect with us.

IELTS (International English Language Testing Service)

• Versions – There are two versions available i.e. Academic and General Training.
• Organizer – It is organised by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English.
• Fee – The fee for this exam is INR 14,000.
• Structure – The structure of this exam is based on four factors including Listening, Writing, Reading, and Speaking.
• Duration – The time period of this exam is 2 hours 45 minutes.
• Score – The score given to the candidates is between 1 to 9.
• Results – Results will be announced 13 days after the test date.
• Popularity – Extensively popular in the UK and Australia.
• Acceptance – It is accepted across 9000+ International Colleges.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

• Versions – There are two versions available i.e. TOEFL iBT General and Special Home Edition.
• Organizer – It is organised by ETS (Educational Testing Service).
• Fee – The fee for this exam is US$180.
• Structure – The structure of this exam is based on four factors including Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
• Duration – The time period of this exam is 3 hours.
• Score – The score given to the candidates is between 0 to 120.
• Results – Results will be announced 6 days after the test date.
• Popularity – Extensively popular in the USA and Canada; 100% recognized by universities in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Acceptance – It is accepted across 11,000 universities, agencies, and other institutions.

PTE (Pearson Test of English)

• Versions – There are two versions available i.e. PTE Academic and PTE Academic UKVI.
• Organizer – It is organised by Pearson PLC Group.
• Fee – The fee for this exam is INR 14,700.
• Structure – The structure of this exam is based on four factors including Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
• Duration – The time period of this exam is 2 hours.
• Score – The score given to the candidates is between 10 to 90.
• Results – Results will be announced online within two working days.
• Popularity – Extensively accepted in many institutions of the UK, Australia, USA, and Canada.
• Acceptance – PTE Academic Exam is recognized by thousands of universities across the globe, comprising significant institutions such as Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and also Yale. This exam is also recognized for visa purposes by the Australian and New Zealand governments.

Which countries accept IELTS CELPIP and PTE? 

1. IELTS is recognized by 140 countries and 10,000 institutes, for learning, settlement, and work-related purposes. In Australia, IELTS is acknowledged, for many visa types and also for permanent citizenship. In Canada, IELTS is acknowledged for settlement, immigrants, and residency. In the UK, IELTS is acknowledged for enduring citizenship. In New Zealand, IELTS is acknowledged for Visas which contains, skilful migrants, financiers, businesspeople, the house from work, and parent groups. 
2. CELPIP has over 33 examination centres across Canada in addition to one test centre in the UAE. However, CELPIP Test settings are presently only available in Canada and the UAE, Dubai but also available in India, China, Philippines.
3. PTE is acknowledged by thousands of universities across the globe in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, counting Harvard, Yale, and INSEAD. The PTE Academic can be occupied at more than 200 exam centre locations in over 50 countries. It is accepted by the Australian government for all visa applications