Comparing Scores

Updated on: Friday, June 03, 2011

An official score comparison for the TOEFL iBT® test and IELTS® academic test was released by Educational Testing Services recently. The mapping tool provides the higher education community with an ETS-authorized comparison tool for each of the four skill sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), as well as for the total scores for both English language assessments. The tool was created in response to the field’s request for an accurate comparison that is grounded in research.

The newly released ETS-authorized score comparison is based on a sampling of 1,153 students who took both the TOEFL iBT test and IELTS test. The equipercentile linking method was used to align the scores from the two assessments.

“Reviewing and comparing test results from two very different English language assessments that vary in design, content, and scoring can be a complex task,” commented Teresa Sanchez-Lazer, executive director of the TOEFL® Program. “Based on feedback from the field, ETS felt a user-friendly, research-based comparison that can be used with confidence was warranted. We hope the new tool will be useful to admissions officials around the world in reviewing the English skills of non-native speakers.”

ETS has also published Linking TOEFL iBT ® Scores to IELTS ® Scores – A research report, that outlines the research design, including the data collection, data analysis, and study results in which the score comparison was created.

Comparing Scores

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