PTE vs. TOEFL: Which English Test to Choose?

PTE vs TOEFL:  TOEFL and PTE are popular tests to assess your English language proficiency for the purpose of study/work abroad, and immigration purposes. These tests evaluate your language proficiency, including grammar, vocabulary, fluency, listening comprehension, academic writing, etc. The main criterion for international students who wish to study abroad, is to have a good proficiency in the English language. 

International universities accept both PTE and TOEFL scores as a proof of English proficiency. Understanding the difference betewen these two tests is important for the test-takers to decide on which test to choose. Since PTE and TOEFL serve the same purpose, Students whose native language isn’t English are confused about which test to take. To help you make an informed decision, in this article let's compare PTE vs. TOEFL, based on key factors like test structures, question types, scoring methods, and test delivery modes.

Table of Content

• TOEFL
• PTE
• PTE vs TOEFL: Pattern Comparison
• PTE vs TOEFL: Scoring
• PTE vs TOEFL: Reading
• PTE vs TOEFL: Listening
• PTE vs TOEFL: Speaking
• PTE vs TOEFL: Writing
• PTE vs TOEFL: Question Types
• Main Differences between PTE and TOEFL
• PTE or TOEFL - Which is widely accepted?
• Which is easier? Difficulty Level of PTE/TOEFL
• Advantages and Disadvantages of TOEFL and PTE
• FAQ

What is TOEFL?

TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is managed by Educational Testing Services (ETS). TOEFL is the oldest test format since 1964, accepted by more than 12,000 universities in over 160 countries worldwide. It is a premier English language proficiency test for study, work, and immigration. You can take the TOEFL test on a computer (online) at a test centre or from home. If you prefer a paper-based test (offline), then that is available too. TOEFL assesses your language skills in 4 sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.

What is PTE?

PTE Academic, also known as Pearson Test of English, is managed by Pearson PLC, an educational service company, and has been a newly arrived test since 2009. PTE has been gaining popularity recently and is recognized by 3000+ universities worldwide. In the USA, 1K+ universities, and in the UK, 99% of universities accept PTE scores for study abroad and immigration purposes. Australia and the UK government have started accepting PTE scores for the Visa process. PTE is a single consolidated test that is purely computer-based taken from test centres or the convenience of your home. It evaluates your English language skills in 3 sections: Speaking & Writing, Reading and Listening.

PTE vs TOEFL: Pattern Comparison

TOEFL iBT test is conducted via the internet. The reading section evaluates your reading comprehension skills through MCQs, drag-drop tasks and completing summary sections. Your writing skill is evaluated with writing essays and summarising information sections. The listening section’s evaluation is done through the MCQ, completing tables and taking notes’ section. The speaking section has tests such as responding to prompts, summarising information and expressing opinions. 

PTE Academic is computer-based and tests move in a fixed order. The Speaking and writing section assesses through exercises such as reading aloud, describing images and essay writing. The reading section evaluates through MCQs, reordering paragraphs, and fill-up-the-blanks. The listening section tests your skills via MCQs, summarising spoken texts, and fill ups.

PTE vs TOEFL: Scoring

TOEFL iBT Scores combines both human and automated scoring to evaluate your responses. Speaking and writing sections are assessed by the certified evaluators who follow the guidelines provided by ETS. Reading and Listening sections are verified by computer algorithms. Each part is assessed on a scale of 0-30, and the overall score ranging from 0-120. 

PTE Academic scoring system evaluates using an automated scoring system, which involves computer algorithms to assess the test takers responses. This type of PTE scoring system eliminates the subject bias. Each skill area is assessed individually. The overall score ranges from 10 to 90.

PTE vs TOEFL: Reading

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT assesses your reading skills and how you understand academic materials. It gives two reading passages, excerpts from university-level textbooks. The reading section has 3-4 multiple-focus passages (compare/contrast, cause-effect type), each 700 words long, with 10 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) per passage. You can complete the TOEFL Reading Test between 54-72 minutes. TOEFL Reading Score ranges from 0-30.

PTE

PTE Reading Test assesses your reading and writing skills across various genres like newspaper articles, academic texts and informational passages. It includes five different question types: fill in the blanks, Re-order paragraphs, Multiple choice questions with single and multiple answers. The PTE reading test takes around 30-32 minutes to complete. The PTE Reading Score falls within the range of 10-90.

PTE vs TOEFL: Listening

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT listening section measures your ability to comprehend English conversations and lectures. It evaluates basic comprehension, connecting information,daily-life conversations, and the speaker's degree of certainty. This section consists of three lectures based on classroom discussion. The lectures are from daily-life conversations and the accent used in the listening portion are those of native-speakers of North America. Each lasting 3-5 minutes, with six questions per lecture. Additionally, it includes two conversations, each of about 3 minutes of length, with five questions per conversation. You can complete the TOEFL Listening Test in about 36 minutes.

PTE

PTE's Listening section is designed to assess your listening proficiency through audio or video clips that start playing automatically. You can hear the audio or video clip only once and take notes (if needed). The PTE listening test has eight different question types, including Summarise spoken test, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, Fill in the Blanks, Highlight correct summary, Multiple choice, Single Answer, Select Missing word, Highlight Innocent words, Write from Dictation. It takes about 30-43 minutes to complete the PTE Listening Test.

PTE vs TOEFL: Speaking

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT Speaking test assesses your ability to speak English fluently in an academic environment with four tasks. The first question is the independent task to put forth your opinion, ideas, and experiences. The other three questions are of Integrated Speaking type, which combines your English language skills - listening and speaking. You will get 15 to 30 seconds of preparation time for each question, which is 45 to 60 seconds (almost 1 minute) in total. Since it's online, you must record your answers via microphone. The total test time to complete the speaking section is 16 minutes.

PTE

Since PTE conducts the Speaking and Writing section together, let us explain in the writing section.

PTE vs TOEFL: Writing

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT writing test evaluates your English writing proficiency with an academic context, and the ability to present your ideas, in a clear and well-organised manner. This test consists of two writing tasks. In the Integrated Writing Tasks, you will listen to a short lecture and a short passage to read. You have to write a response in 20 minutes. The second is Writing for an Academic Discussion Task, requires you to express and support an opinion in a writing format. It takes about 10 minutes. Thus, you must complete the TOEFL iBT writing test in 30 mins. Raw scores are converted into scaled section scores ranging from 0-30.

PTE

PTE Academic Speaking & Writing section is the lengthy section of the test. This test assesses your English speaking and writing skills in an academic environment. This test consists of seven question types: Personal Introduction, Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Re-tell Lecture, Answer Short Question, Summarise Written text, Essay of about 200-300 words. This test lasts for about 54-67 minutes. 

PTE vs TOEFL: Question Types

TOEFL

The TOEFL consists of four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.

• Reading section assesses your English reading skills through MCQs, drag-drop tasks and completing summary.
• Listening section evaluates your listening ability by Completing tables, taking notes and MCQs.
• The Speaking section measures your English speaking ability via questions on responding to prompts, summarising information, and expressing opinions. 
• The writing section tests your ability of English grammar and writing skills using writing essays and summarising information.  

PTE

PTE test consists of three main sections: Speaking and Writing, Reading and Listening and 20 different question types like MCQ, essay writing, interpreting and repeating information. The test is purely computer-based and follows a fixed order. Test takers should move from one section to another without any option to return or revisit. 

• The speaking and writing section assess your speaking and writing skills through reading aloud, describing images, and essay writing tasks.
• The reading section evaluates English reading skills through MCQs, reordering paragraphs, and fill-in-the-blanks question types. 
• In the Listening section, it has question types like summarising spoken texts, multiple-choice questions, and fill-in-the-blanks.

TOEFL tests your English proficiency through MCQ question types. But PTE has a combination of MCQs and short-answer questions. The reading passages in TOEFL are of information types. So if you are the one who reads newspapers, non-fiction etc , then you will find the TOEFL exam easier.

Main Differences between PTE and TOEFL

The main differences between PTE and TOEFL are given in the table below. 

Differences Between PTE & TOEFL
S.No	Parameters	PTE	TOEFL
1	Test Format	PTE is a fully computer-based test.	TOEFL has both computer (iBT Internet Based Test) and Paper - Based Test PBT.
2	Question Types	It has innovative question types like Reading sentences online through microphone, summarising written texts, Highlight innocent words and re-order paragraphs.	TOEFL has traditional question types like multiple choice, listening comprehension and essay types.
3	Scoring System	PTE scoring system evaluates test takers answers through automated scoring system on a scale of 10-90.	TOEFL combines both human and automated scoring to evaluate your answers on a scale of 0-120.
4	Difficulty level	The TOEFL test is the oldest exam and it is a bit tough compared to PTE.	PTE is easier compared to IELTS and TOEFL.
5	Cost of the exam	PTE Academic and PTE Academic online cost Rs 15,900.	Registration for TOEFL iBT cost is around Rs 16,900.
6	Mode of Exam	PTE exam is completely online that can be taken from a centre or at the convenience of your home.	TOEFL has iBT (Internet Based Test) and PBT (Paper Based Test).
7	Accepted scores	100 out of 120	75 out of 90
8	Who can take this test?	Ideal for USA	Students who are running late with their English test results
9	Results validity	The scores are valid for 2 years.	The TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years
10	No. of attempts allowed	Unlimited attempts allowed. Can attempt once in three days.	Unlimited attempts allowed. Can attempt once in five days.

TOEFL & PTE tests are in standard American English. When it comes to the speaking section, you can record your answers on your computer online. In TOEFL, a human will evaluate your speaking test. On the other hand, the Speaking test is evaluated through a computer program in PTE.

PTE or TOEFL - Which is widely accepted?

Both PTE and TOEFL are popular and widely recognized by institutions across the globe. 

• TOEFL is accepted by over 11,500 universities in over 160 countries. The most TOEFL accepted countries are the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany.
• PTE accepted countries are  Australia, New Zealand and UK in over 3000+ universities.

TOEFL has existed since a long time and it has a global presence. On the other hand PTE was established recently and is gaining popularity. If you have decided on the country and university, make a research on which English Proficiency test score is accepted and its minimum score and prepare accordingly.

Which is easier? Difficulty Level of PTE/TOEFL

If you think “is PTE easier than TOEFL?” Then from the above factors, it is clear that PTE is easier than TOEFL because of its computer-based exam, automated scoring system, flexibility in answering, and more time allocated for each section. The choice between PTE vs TOEFL depends on your skill, target score, and your time available for preparation. For TOEFL or PTE preparation, Kanan International has a well structured curriculum and experienced faculties who can help you in every pursuit of your study abroad journey.

Also Read

• Duolingo Vs PTE
• TOEFL Vs IELTS

Advantages and Disadvantages of TOEFL and PTE

 

IELTS vs PTE vs TOEFL

In preceding sections, we've delved into a comparison between PTE and TOEFL. However, IELTS stands as another prominent contender in the race of English proficiency assessments. Managed by IDP, the International English Language Testing System is relied upon by over 11,000 organizations and test centers spanning 140 countries. The confusion of selecting the most suitable test persists among international students, contingent upon factors such as academic pursuits, university prerequisites, and available preparation time. By weighing these considerations alongside the varying difficulty levels of these exams, one can decide the optimal choice. At Kanan International, adept trainers specialize in preparing candidates for IELTS, PTE, and TOEFL examinations. Reach out now for further details.

FAQ

1. What are PTE and TOEFL?

PTE is Pearson Test of English, is managed by Pearson PLC and TOEFL is Test of English as a Foreign Language is managed by Educational Testing Services (ETS). Both these tests are English Language Proficiency Test to assess your English Language skills based on four sections like Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.

2. Is PTE similar to TOEFL?

PTE and TOEFL are English Language proficiency tests to study abroad. They both evaluate the test-takers’ English language skills in all the four section REading, writing, speaking and listening. Though they serve the same purpose, it differs on a few factors like scoring, difficulty level, test format etc.

3.  How difficult are PTE and TOEFL?

It is very tough to decide on which test is difficult. It depends on your current English proficiency level, which can be found out by taking mock tests. More than thinking about the difficulty, it is important to put in hard work to clear any English tests.

4. What are the universities that accept PTE / TOEFL?

The TOEFL Accepting universities are

• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• Columbia University
• University of California - Berkeley Campus
• University of Chicago
• Yale University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PTE accepting universities are

• Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania    
• MIT Sloan School of Management
• Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
• Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
• Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College
• Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College

5. What is TOEFL vs PTE: Paper-based and Computer-delivered test?

PTE is a purely computer based test, where all the sections are assessed online. TOEFL has both iBT (Internet Based Test) and PBT(Paper Based Test). Test takers can choose either mode based on their convenience and other factors.

6. What is TOEFL vs PTE: Real person vs Robot?

The Speaking section of TOEFL and PTE are assessed by Robots. The questions and instructions are already pre recorded. You have to speak the answer to a robot into a microphone. Only in IELTS you will be having a direct interviewer to assess your speaking ability.

7. What are the differences between PTE and TOEFL?

The main difference between PTE and TOEFL is that PTE is an online based test but TOEFL has both internet (iBT) and paper-based (PBT). It also differs based on Test scoring type and question types. Though there are differences they analyse the English language skills of non-native English speakers.