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English Proficiency Exams: IELTS, PTE, GRE, TOEFL, and Duolingo – Select wisely

It is essential for students who are planning to study abroad to prepare for English proficiency exams, especially for destinations that are primarily English-speaking countries. Keeping the destination and your career goals in mind, each student will have to go through one of these English proficiency exams.

The purpose of having such tests include:

1. Required for Admissions:

These tests are required as a part of the admission process for study abroad programs.

2. Shows Academic Readiness:

Being comfortable with the English language, the student can understand all the lectures, projects, etc which are taught in the English language. They can understand things better and faster plus academic communication becomes easier.

3. Future Employment and growth

The English language is one of the most widely used languages for all purposes. The global corporates use English as their primary language of communication. If one is fluent in the English language, doors for global careers can open with great opportunities.

4. Integration with the society

Studying abroad in an English-speaking destination can become overwhelming if one is not comfortable with the English language. Being able to communicate in English makes you feel like a part of the society and community which gives a strong sense of belonging and confidence.

The most accepted and well-known English proficiency exams are IELTS, PTE, GRE, TOEFL, and Duolingo English Test.

1. IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

Types:

  • IELTS Academic – For higher education.
  • IELTS General Training – For work and immigration.

Exam Format:

  • Listening (30 min)
  • Reading (60 min)
  • Writing (60 min)
  • Speaking (11–14 min, face-to-face interview)

2. PTE (Pearson Test of English)

Exam Format:

    • Speaking & Writing (54–67 min)
    • Reading (29–30 min)
    • Listening (30–43 min)
    • Scoring: 10–90 scale, AI-based evaluation.

3. GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

Exam Format:

  • Analytical Writing (2 essays, 60 min)
  • Verbal Reasoning (60 min)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (70 min)

Scoring:

  • Verbal & Quantitative: 130–170
  • Writing: 0–6

Why Choose GRE?

4. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Exam Format:

    • Reading (54–72 min)
    • Listening (41–57 min)
    • Speaking (17 min)
    • Writing (50 min)
    • Scoring: 0–120, with each section scored out of 30.

5. Duolingo English Test

Exam Format:

    • Adaptive test covering reading, writing, speaking, and listening (45 min).
    • Video interview and writing sample (10 min).

English Proficiency Exams at a glance

Exam Applicable for Type of Exam Format Scoring system Results Countries Applicable Validity of the Score/ Result
IELTS Study, work, immigration Paper/computer 0-9 Bands 3-5 days (UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). 2-3 years
PTE Study, work, immigration Computer-based 0-90 scale 48 hours UK, USA, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. 2 years
GRE Grad school Computer/paper 130-170 10-15 days USA, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, and other English-speaking nations. 5 years
TOEFL University admissions Internet-based 0-120 4-8 days The UK, the US, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. 2-3 Years
Duolingo University admissions Online 160 48 hours USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, China, Qatar, Japan, Thailand, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Italy. 2 years

A sneak peek into IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE vs Duolingo: Test Formats and time

Test IELTS TOEFL iBT PTE Academic Duolingo English Test
Listening 4 sections, 40 questions, 30 minutes 28 questions, 36 minutes 8 sections, 45-60 minutes Four parts, 2-4 questions each, 8-12 minutes
Reading 3 sections, 40 questions, 60 minutes 2 passages, 10 questions each, 35 minutes 5 sections, 32-41 questions, 45-75 minutes Four parts, 2-3 questions each, 16-22 minutes
Writing 2 tasks, 60 minutes 2 tasks, 29 minutes 3 sections, 20-32 questions, 30-40 minutes One part, one question, 10 minutes
Speaking Face-to-face interview, 11-14 minutes 2 independent tasks, 2 integrated tasks, 16 minutes 5 sections, 35 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds per question Three parts, 3-5 questions each, 6-8 minutes
Duration Approx 2.45 hrs Less than 2 hours Approx. 2 hours Approximately 1 hour

Duration of English Language Test

IELTS

165 mins

TOEFL iBT

120 mins

PTE Academic

90 mins

Duolingo English Test

60 mins

Conclusion

The decision regarding which English proficiency test should be undertaken depends on your individual needs, strengths, and the specific requirements of the institutions or visa authorities you are applying to. Each study abroad destination and university has its own set of procedures and formalities that decide what English proficiency language a student prefers. Research each factor before you make a final call regarding opting for a study abroad destination.

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