Comparison of the Cambridge Exams main suite, IELTS and TOEFL

This guide is intended to help teachers and consultants advise students on which exam to take by making a
side-by-side comparison. Before getting into the complexities of the different methods of testing and the
different levels measurable by each exam, the administrative differences will be compared. The guide will
conclude with some recommendations.

Organizational and Administrative Differences

One very obvious difference between the exams is their structure: the time required to take the exam, the
order the sections are done, the time required to receive the results and the number of times per year the
exam is administered in the area. Furthermore, there are differences in the skills tested: all of the exams
have sections dedicated to reading, listening, writing and speaking while the Cambridge suite also includes a
specific grammar and vocabulary section which is known as the use of English. The IELTS and TOEFL test
these areas implicitly in the other sections of their exams. The TOEFL also has approximately 30 minutes of
experimental material under consideration for future exams which is mixed in with either the reading or
listening section.
FCE

CAE

CPE

IELTS

TOEFL

Total time: 4 hrs.

Total time: 5 hrs.

Total time: 6 hrs.

Total time: 3 hrs.

Total time: 3.5 hrs.

Reading: 60 min.

Reading: 75 min.

Reading: 90 min.

Listening: 40 min.

Reading: 60 min.

Writing: 80 min.

Writing: 90 min.

Writing: 120 min.

Reading: 60 min

Listening: 60 min.

Use of Eng.: 45 min.

Use of Eng.: 60 min.

Use of Eng.: 90 min.

Writing: 60 min.

Speaking: 20 min.

Listening: 40 min.

Listening: 40 min.

Listening: 40 min.

Speaking: 16 min.

Writing: 50 min.

Speaking: 15 min.

Speaking: 15 min.

Speaking: 18 min.

Results: 8 weeks

Results: 8 weeks

Results: 8 weeks

Results: 2 weeks

Results: 3 weeks

Per year: 3

Per year: 3

Per year: 3

Per year: > 40*

Per year: > 20

Extra: 30 min.

*the IELTS is administered almost every week in Morges, with approximately 4 exams per year in Geneva starting in 2010

IELTS and TOEFL are shorter than the Cambridge exams and they have the additional advantage of being
completed in one day; the exams in the Cambridge suite require students to come on separate days for the
written test and the oral test, usually about one or two weeks apart. In addition to the quicker assessment
and delivery of results, the IELTS and TOEFL are administered much more frequently than the Cambridge
main suite, and the British Council and Educational Testing Service can arrange for private sessions if the
demand is large enough.

Test levels compared using Common European Framework of Reference

The CEFR is a method of measuring users' proficiency in a language expressed in can-do statements. A
basic version from the British Council can be found in appendix 1. It has become the standard means of
describing a user's language ability and so it is a useful method of comparing the exams. The Cambridge
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main suite maps exactly onto the different levels whereas the IELTS and TOEFL provide a range of scores
so the same exam can accurately determine the levels of two very different students. There are some
discrepancies in the correspondence of the IELTS and TOEFL scores depending on the source, so I have
compiled information from the British Council and Educational Testing Service (see appendix 2) into this
table.
CEFR

B2

C1

C2

FCE

CAE

CPE

IELTS band (max: 9)

5.5-6.0

6.5-7.0

7.5 and higher

TOEFL score (max:120)

35-78

79-101

102 and higher

Cambridge exam

In a very rough and unscientific description, a B2 student has successfully learned the English taught in
books, a C1 student has started to notice and understand how native speakers bend and break the rules of
grammar, and a C2 student has achieved a relative mastery of the illogical and idiomatic native-level
language. If the students knew what a radio programme was about, a B2 student could find specific
information while a C1 student would be able to tell you what the opinions of the speakers were. A C2
student would be able to begin listening in the middle of the programme and tell you what it was about based
on what they heard. He or she would also be able to say whether the speakers were being sincere or
sarcastic and they would notice most of the jokes.
Who needs to be at these levels? The B2 level is considered adequate for most undergraduate courses, but
C1 is sometimes required. For graduate school, C1 has been the standard for some time. Professionally,
requirements also vary from B2 to C1. C2 is extremely difficult to achieve, especially without having lived
in an English-speaking country. Only the most prestigious universities demand this level for incoming
students and it would only be necessary in a select few fields such as translation, diplomacy, negotiation or
international law.

Which exam to take? (This teacher recommends the IELTS)

The most obvious answer is: the exam the student is required to take. However, many schools are now
accepting more than one exam and so the student must choose. I strongly believe the IELTS is the exam
which tests the user's English in the most natural and intuitive way, and so allows them to receive the mark
which best represents their ability. While the TOEFL and the Cambridge suite are well-researched, wellsupported, well-known and widely recognised, they all have certain procedural peculiarities which (in my
opinion) can hinder a student's score.
I find the format of the TOEFL speaking exam to be very unnerving to the student. First of all, they record
all of their answers on a computer rather than having a conversation with an examiner. In a very tightly
scheduled 20 minutes, (which the candidate has no control of, they must respond to beeps in the recording
which tell them when to start and stop speaking) they must read and listen to several pieces of information,
write notes and then summarise them in one-minute answers. Overall, I feel it is an extremely stressful way
to take a speaking test.
Another problem I have with the TOEFL is the listening test. The questions are only given to the student
after they hear the recording, which can be as long as six minutes, so the student is expected to take notes
while they listen and remember the entire lecture or conversation. I do agree that note-taking is an important
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skill to test in potential university students although in a university course the student will be interested in
and familiar with the subject material and lectures will be supplemented with reading material and a class
syllabus. In the TOEFL exam, the material can be from any field of study from marketing to biology to
anthropology to engineering. Again, it's very stressful to try and follow a lecture you have no background
in.
Finally, the score that most schools seem to require, 100 points out of 120, demands almost total perfection
from the student on the day. Writing and speaking are impossible to do perfectly, even on a student's (or a
native speaker's) best day and without time limits. So in order to achieve 100 points, a student can really
answer no more than two or three questions incorrectly in each of the listening and reading sections because
they will certainly drop some points in the speaking and writing sections. An overall average score of 83%
is required (100/120) as opposed to a 72% average on the IELTS (6.5/9) or a 60% on the CAE. Considering
the stressful conditions of the listening and speaking tests, this level of accuracy is quite challenging. And as
you can see in the table on page 2, 100 points is closer to the CPE than the CAE which shows it is a very
formidable task indeed.
Overall, I find the Cambridge suite to be very balanced but my one point of criticism is the Use of English
section. This is the part of the exam where a student is specifically tested on their knowledge of vocabulary
and grammar. This is not, in itself, a bad thing. But in normal interactions, the user is in control of the
structures and expressions they use and is able to use any number of methods to communicate effectively.
While it is unarguably desirable for a student to have a broad vocabulary and a wide range of grammar
structures, 50 arbitrary questions on an exam seems to be an imprecise way of measuring this.
The Cambridge speaking exam is better than the TOEFL, but the requirements during the exam are not
always clear to students and so this is one area where exam preparation is essential. Students are often
distracted by the fact that another student is taking the exam at the same time. There are two parts of the
exam where interaction between the students is the focus and if they are not aware of this it is possible to
lose marks. Therefore it is relatively difficult, without special training, to receive a good score on the
Cambridge speaking tests.
The speaking test is one of the main reasons I recommend the IELTS. It is face-to-face, one-to-one, and
done on the same day as the exam. This is a familiar format and so provides very few distractions from the
tasks which are being tested. I also appreciate the format of the listening test, where the student knows the
questions in advance and must answer while they listen to the recording which is only played once. The
questions on the reading test are varied but display a consistent logic in their design which encourages
skimming, scanning and reading for detail. The exam is offered around twice a month and the results are
available quickly which is particularly convenient when applying for colleges. One perceived mark against
the IELTS is that the results are only valid for two years as opposed to the Cambridge exams which are
valid for life. The British Council's reasoning is that people take the IELTS in order to study or live
abroad, so after two years their level should naturally be considerably higher.
Again, the most important parties in the process of choosing an exam are the student and the institution
requiring it. As I said before, all of these exams are well-researched, well-supported, well-known and
widely recognised (with the IELTS improving its worldwide recognition thanks to the Ivy League of
universities in the United States accepting IELTS scores starting in 2010). But when an institution accepts
more than one exam, I hope this guide will help choose the one that suits the student best.

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Appendix 1

Common European Framework (CEF)

Global Scale
These levels describe a learners general English language proficiency. You can find more detailed information about
the CEF from www.alte.org
C2

Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can

summarise information from different spoken and written sources,
reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can
express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating
finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

C1

Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise

implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously
without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly
and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce
clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled
use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

B2

Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and
abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of
specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that
makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain
for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and
disadvantages of various options.

B1

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters
regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most
situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is
spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or
of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes
& ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and
plans.

A2

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas

of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family
information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in
simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms
aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas
of immediate need.

A1

Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic
phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce
him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal
details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she
has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and
clearly and is prepared to help.

Proficient

User

Independent

User

Basic

User

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Appendix 2
From British Council

from ETS

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