TOEFL versus IELTS
In TOEFL your spoken answers is recorded into a recording device through microphone, so if you are nervous it may influence your voice intonation and clarity. Be careful about this!
Actually previous I've written such thema, but I dont know, it went away, disappear without trace.
Yeah, just write it again. Here we go!
Listening section.
TOEFL use headphone, and IELTS use tape player. So it means that TOEFL is more individual, you take exam inside a booth each for one participant. IELTS usually held on class so it seems like ordinary test.
TOEFL and IELTS both has same method of filling, filled out while the recording is playing. But if you are lucky to found IELTS test type in listening section that explain a map, I hope you can manage about that. When I did my test, I didnt met it anyway. I think that part is hard because you need to have a higher visual-imagination skill.
Tips for facing listening section, try to listen to english audio/song/movie without looking on translation/text to train your hearing organ :p
Dont worry, on the test you can make small note to help you remember important name/word.
Reading section.
Both TOEFL and IELTS have same method, there's paragraphs and questions that need to be answered. (you dont say??)
Just keep cautious about the question "it", "inferred", "implied" and "what is the main idea of paragraph X?"
Usually questions has sequence, so first question 90% wont asking about the last paragraph.
Here, the test assumes that all participant has same level of education, if you are rocket scientist and the text is about rocket science, DONT play smart person here! Even you know that there are more correct answer or there isnt, the answer lies within the paragraph or inferred from paragraph!
Speaking section.
Same method, participant speak! There are two type of answering, spontaneous and prepared answer.
But, the huge difference lies here.
In IELTS you'll be speaking to a native speaker, a person, a human, directly. So I think that IELTS is better than TOEFL because if you are nervous, at least he/she might still heard what I've said better than through recorded audio.
Writing section.
Both test provide two type of question, but different in term. In TOEFL you'll get pick-a-side writing and free writing while in IELTS you'll faced chart/diagram description and pick-a-side writing.
Pick-a-side writing requires participants to pick-a-side, pro or contra in an argument. There is no right or wrong side as an answer in this question, but the score much weigh on how is your writing composition, clarity of idea, systematic explanation and less grammar error. This requirement is also valid for free writing question.
Chart/diagram description is relative easy because we've already given chart/diagram to describe the content, compare contrast between data inside. Remember that here we ONLY describe the chart, compare highest and lowest bla bla bla without giving reason why this number/chart's increase or decrease!! Remember!
DONT play as smart person because the examiner is smarter than us!
My strategy in writing section was doing the hardest part first then get into the easy part.
Well, thats all my explanation between TOEFL and IELTS. The choice and budget is yours. Remember to bring extra pen or pencil and eraser :)
Cheers mate!
