Which Is Easier, TOEFL or IELTS? The 2027 Answer, Based on the New TOEFL Format

Quick definitions first, since these get mixed up more than you’d expect.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is jointly run by IDP and the British Council. It tests Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking, and it’s accepted for study, work, and immigration across more than 140 countries.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is ETS’s English proficiency exam. It’s used mainly for university admissions and study visas, not work or immigration.

Neither test is objectively easier, and if a page claims otherwise without qualification, it usually indicates that the author hasn’t closely examined which test is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, for someone in your specific situation. It really comes down to a handful of things about you, not the exams themselves:

• Speaking style: live examiners suit confident talkers; a microphone with nobody watching suits people who freeze up in face-to-face situations.
• Reading comfort: academic textbooks favor TOEFL’s style; magazines, news, and everyday text favor IELTS.
• Typing vs handwriting: a fast, accurate typist has an edge on TOEFL’s fully computer-based format; IELTS still offers a paper option in some cities.
• Timing preference: a shorter, more clipped test now favors TOEFL at roughly 90 minutes; IELTS gives more breathing room per section, closer to three hours.

That said, a lot of the content answering “Is TOEFL easier than IELTS?” right now, including some pages published as recently as mid-2026, is working off a version of TOEFL that no longer exists. On January 21, 2026, TOEFL underwent its biggest overhaul in decades, genuinely changing how you should make this comparison.

My insight: Students who ask us which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, almost always mean “Which one will I score higher on with less prep?” That’s a different question from which test is structurally simpler, and the honest answer depends more on your habits than on either exam’s design.

If you want the fuller picture, including PTE and Duolingo, this IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE vs Duolingo comparison breaks down all four side by side.

Here’s what ETS actually changed, since this is the part most comparison pages still get wrong, and it directly affects the answer to which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, for anyone applying in 2027.

A few things actually matter here, not just the raw numbers:

• Score reports through 2028 show both scales, so nothing sent to a university is misinterpreted.
• TOEFL is now shorter and more adaptive than most IELTS vs TOEFL comparison pages online still describe.
• An article on the TOEFL test vs IELTS mentioning a four-hour TOEFL or a plain 0-120 score with no band equivalent was written before January 2026.

For a closer look at how demanding the new version actually feels day-to-day, this TOEFL exam difficulty breakdown covers section-by-section detail.

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Now that the format is current, here’s how the two tests actually line up for anyone still asking which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, once every recent change is accounted for.

For full fee and eligibility details, check our TOEFL exam syllabus, fees, and eligibility guide.

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For the TOEFL vs IELTS test, the honest starting point is your own comfort level, not a generic ranking. This is really where, which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, stops being a trivia question and starts being a personal one.

If you get nervous talking to a live examiner: TOEFL’s recorded speaking section removes that pressure entirely. You’re speaking into a microphone with preparation time built in, which suits people who freeze up in face-to-face situations but speak confidently when they’ve had a moment to plan.

If you’re targeting the UK or migrating to the UK, Canada, or Australia: IELTS is often the safer, sometimes mandatory, choice. UK visa applications specifically require IELTS for UKVI in most cases, and several UK universities have been slower to formally adopt TOEFL’s new scoring scale.

Check which countries accept TOEFL before ruling it out entirely, since the list is broader than most students assume.

If you’re comfortable with computers and prefer a shorter test: The redesigned TOEFL, at roughly 90 minutes with adaptive sections, is now genuinely quicker to sit than IELTS, which still runs closer to three hours.

My insight: We’ve had students switch from TOEFL to IELTS mid-prep purely because they realized they think better out loud than into a screen. That’s a legitimate reason to switch, and it’s better to catch it during a diagnostic practice test than on exam day. It’s also the clearest real-world evidence that which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, genuinely comes down to the individual, not the exam.

This is the part almost nobody else is telling you, and it matters if you’re applying for a 2027 intake and still weighing which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, for your specific university list.

• Check your target university’s English requirement page directly, not a third-party aggregator, since some institutions still list only the old 0-120 requirement even though they accept the new band score automatically during the dual-reporting period.
  
• If you’re applying to Oxford, Oxford’s own admissions guidance, as of mid-2026, states it won’t accept TOEFL iBT scores from tests taken on or after January 21, 2026, pending its review of the redesigned exam. This is a live policy, so confirm directly before booking TOEFL over IELTS.
  
• If your score report shows a low band number like 4.0 or 4.5, don’t panic before checking the legacy equivalent on the same report. A 4.5 band roughly maps to the old 87-99 range, which is competitive for most programs outside the very top tier.

If you’re closer to an IELTS band of 5.5, check which countries accept a 5.5 IELTS band before assuming you need to retake it.

• If you’re unsure which scale a university is quoting, ETS’s score reports carry both formats side by side through 2028, so point to the legacy number if a school’s page hasn’t caught up yet.
• If you’ve already booked TOEFL and are now worried about acceptance, IELTS remains the fallback with zero ambiguity, since its 0-9 scale hasn’t changed and every accepting university already recognizes it.

Once you know your target band, this useful IELTS score guide explains what counts as competitive for different program levels.

Once you’ve settled the TOEFL vs IELTS question for yourself, here’s roughly how the timeline should look, working backward from a Fall 2027 start.

1. Get the facts right before you decide. TOEFL’s 2026 redesign changed the scale, duration, and speaking format completely, and a lot of comparison content online, even from mid-2026, still describes the old version.
   
2. Match the test to your comfort, not a ranking. Live speaking versus recorded speaking is usually the single biggest factor in which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, for any individual student.
   
3. Verify your target university directly. With Oxford and a handful of others still reviewing the new TOEFL format, don’t assume your dream school has caught up on which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS, for their admissions page; check it yourself before you book. Cambridge has gone further and stopped accepting TOEFL entirely for anyone testing after December 31, 2025, and Glasgow no longer accepts TOEFL iBT for postgraduate applicants at all, check your specific UK shortlist, not just Oxford.

Verified by: LeapScholar’s test prep counseling team, with hands-on experience guiding Indian students through English proficiency exam choices.

Have questions about choosing between TOEFL and IELTS? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.