What are the differences between IELTS and TOEFL reading sections?

Okay, so I’m trying to decide which English proficiency test to take for university applications. I know both IELTS and TOEFL are widely accepted, but I’m particularly concerned about the reading sections. I’ve heard they’re quite different, but I’m not sure exactly how.

Specifically, I’m worried about:

• The types of texts used: Are they similar academic articles in both, or does one use more general interest pieces? What’s the length like for each text in both exams?
• The question types: Are they mostly multiple choice for both? Do either use true/false/not given, matching headings, or sentence completion? I struggle a lot with those "find the information and match it" type questions.
• The level of difficulty: Which test presents reading passages that use more complex vocabulary and sentence structure?
• The time constraints: How much time is allowed for each section, and how many questions do you have to answer within that timeframe? I know speed reading is important, but I want to be sure I have enough time to understand the material.
• Answer sheet format: Is one more forgiving or easier to manage in terms of bubbling answers or filling in gaps?
• Scoring: How are the reading sections scored on each exam? Do they penalize for incorrect answers?

Basically, I want to understand the nitty-gritty details so I can figure out which reading section better suits my strengths and weaknesses. Any insights would be super helpful!

Answer

The IELTS and TOEFL reading sections assess a test taker’s ability to understand academic texts, but they differ significantly in structure, question types, and focus. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the differences:

1. Overall Structure and Format:

• IELTS Reading:

  • Presents three long reading passages, each approximately 700-900 words in length.
  • The passages are taken from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. They are written for a non-specialist audience but deal with academic topics.
  • There are 40 questions in total, covering all three passages.
  • Test takers have 60 minutes to complete the section, including transferring answers to an answer sheet. This means careful time management is crucial.
  • The order of questions generally follows the order of information in the passages, although not always strictly.
  • Some question types require test takers to write words or numbers directly onto the answer sheet, taken directly from the reading passage. Spelling and grammar accuracy of these words matters.
• TOEFL iBT Reading:
  • Presents three or four long reading passages, each approximately 700 words in length.
  • The passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks. The topics are academic in nature and cover a wide range of subjects.
  • Each passage has 10 questions. If there are 3 passages, there are 30 questions. If there are 4 passages, there are 40 questions. The experimental unscored passage will not be identified.
  • Test takers have 54 minutes if there are 3 passages and 72 minutes if there are 4 passages.
  • Answers are selected by clicking on the appropriate answer option. There is no separate answer sheet and no need to transfer answers.
  • The final question for each passage is a "Reading to Learn" question, which requires summarizing information or filling in a table to demonstrate overall comprehension of the text.

2. Question Types:

• IELTS Reading:

  • Features a wide variety of question types, including:
    • Multiple Choice: Selecting the correct answer from a set of options.
    • True/False/Not Given: Identifying whether statements agree with the information in the passage, contradict it, or are not mentioned.
    • Yes/No/Not Given: Similar to True/False/Not Given, but relates to the writer’s claims or opinions.
    • Matching Headings: Matching headings to paragraphs or sections of the passage.
    • Matching Information: Matching statements or phrases to paragraphs or sections of the passage.
    • Matching Features: Matching items (e.g., names, dates) to descriptions or statements.
    • Sentence Completion: Completing sentences with words or phrases from the passage.
    • Summary Completion: Completing a summary of the passage with words or phrases from the passage.
    • Note Completion: Completing notes with words or phrases from the passage.
    • Diagram Label Completion: Labeling a diagram with words or phrases from the passage.
    • Short Answer Questions: Answering questions in a few words, taken directly from the passage.
  • Question types are often mixed within a single passage.
• TOEFL iBT Reading:
  • Features a more standardized set of question types:
    • Multiple Choice (Single Answer): Selecting the best answer from four options.
    • Multiple Choice (Multiple Answer): Selecting multiple correct answers from a set of options.
    • Vocabulary Questions: Identifying the meaning of words or phrases in context.
    • Reference Questions: Identifying what a pronoun or other reference word refers to.
    • Sentence Insertion Questions: Choosing the best place in a paragraph to insert a given sentence.
    • Inference Questions: Drawing conclusions based on information in the passage.
    • Factual Information Questions: Identifying explicitly stated information in the passage.
    • Negative Factual Information Questions: Identifying information that is NOT stated in the passage or that contradicts it.
    • Purpose Questions: Identifying the author’s purpose in including a particular detail or example.
    • Paraphrase Questions: Identifying a sentence that accurately paraphrases another sentence in the passage.
    • Reading to Learn (Summary/Table Completion): Summarizing the main ideas of the passage or completing a table with relevant information.
  • Each passage tends to focus on these question types.

3. Emphasis and Skills Tested:

• IELTS Reading:

  • Emphasizes skimming, scanning, and locating specific information within the text.
  • Tests a wide range of reading skills, including identifying main ideas, understanding details, recognizing opinions and attitudes, and following arguments.
  • Requires careful attention to detail and the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion.
  • Spelling is crucial for some question types, as answers must be copied exactly from the passage.
• TOEFL iBT Reading:
  • Emphasizes understanding the overall structure and organization of the passage.
  • Focuses on skills such as identifying main ideas, understanding relationships between ideas, making inferences, and recognizing the author’s purpose.
  • Tests vocabulary knowledge and the ability to understand academic language.
  • Requires strong reading comprehension skills and the ability to synthesize information from different parts of the passage.

4. Text Difficulty and Content:

• IELTS Reading:

  • Passages are taken from a variety of sources and may cover a wider range of topics.
  • The language is generally accessible but may include some technical or specialized vocabulary.
• TOEFL iBT Reading:
  • Passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks and tend to be more academic and technical in nature.
  • The language is more complex and may include specialized vocabulary and sophisticated sentence structures.

5. Scoring:

• IELTS Reading:

  • Each correct answer is worth one mark.
  • The total number of correct answers is converted to an IELTS band score (1-9).
• TOEFL iBT Reading:
  • Each question has a point value. Most questions are worth one point, but some multiple-choice and "Reading to Learn" questions may be worth more.
  • The total number of points is converted to a scaled score (0-30).

Summary Table:

In conclusion, while both IELTS and TOEFL reading sections assess reading comprehension skills, they differ significantly in their format, question types, emphasis, and scoring. IELTS emphasizes a broader range of question types and the ability to locate specific information quickly, while TOEFL iBT focuses more on overall comprehension and academic vocabulary. The best choice for a test-taker depends on their individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as the specific requirements of the institution or organization to which they are applying.