Key takeaways
- Both tests now run on computer for most students. The TOEFL iBT is a computer test, and IELTS is ending paper tests from mid-2026, market by market.
- The biggest teaching difference is Speaking: TOEFL records answers on a computer with no time to prepare, IELTS is an interview with an examiner.
- IELTS keeps long tasks (40 listening and 40 reading questions, 150- and 250-word essays). The 2026 TOEFL uses many short tasks.
- Which test a student needs depends on where they apply. Check each university's page. This post does not rank the tests.
An English institute in Mohali has run IELTS batches for years. This month, three students asked about TOEFL. The owner's question is not “which test is better?”. It is “should we start a second course, and what will it cost us to run?”
Both tests changed in 2026. TOEFL got a new format on 21 January. IELTS announced on 5 March that paper tests would end from mid-2026. Here is what that means for the institute.
The Two Tests in 2026
Every cell below comes from ETS, ielts.org and IDP pages. Each page is linked under the table.
Side by side
TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic
TOEFL figures are ETS's approximate base times, without directions. ETS says to allow about two hours in all.
Sources: TOEFL from the ETS test content page and score guidance page. IELTS from the ielts.org Academic format pages for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, the ielts.org test delivery update and IELTS Online page, and the IDP Writing on Paper page.
Speaking: Recorded on Computer vs Face to Face
TOEFL
Students speak into a microphone. They repeat sentences exactly, then answer interview questions, with no time to plan. Practice is short, quick and can be drilled in a group.
IELTS
A face-to-face interview in three parts, with one minute to prepare a two-minute talk in Part 2. The skill is conversation with a person, so mock interviews are one to one.
That changes the timetable. Take a batch of 20 IELTS students. One full mock interview each, at 14 minutes, is 280 minutes: more than four and a half hours of a teacher's time, before any feedback. TOEFL speaking drills are easier to run in a group. But someone still has to listen to each student to give useful feedback.
Planning speaking slots for two batches? In a 30-minute demo, we will set up a live speaking class and its reminders for your institute.
Computer Delivery for Both Now
On 13 November 2026, IDP's India site listed no paper-based IELTS. Students choose IELTS on computer or IELTS with Writing on Paper. In Writing on Paper, Listening and Reading are on screen and only the essays are handwritten. IELTS for UK visas is fully digital. The IELTS partners say the change does not alter the skills tested, so your IELTS material still fits. For what the IELTS screen asks of students, see preparing students for computer-delivered IELTS.
What this means in class: TOEFL students type every answer. IELTS students type their essays unless they book Writing on Paper. TOEFL allows no writing assistance software. Move TOEFL mocks, and IELTS mocks for students who will type, from paper to screen. Give slow typists extra timed practice early. Both bodies publish practice screens close to the real ones: the ETS Interactive Sample and the IELTS computer practice tests, which ielts.org says differ slightly from the live test.
What Each Course Costs You to Run
Not in rupees, which depend on your teachers and fees, but in the work each course asks for.
So an IELTS institute adding TOEFL mostly pays in material: the 2026 TOEFL tasks need new practice sets. A TOEFL institute adding IELTS mostly pays in teacher hours for speaking. What we cannot tell you is which test your students' universities ask for. Your counsellors know that better than any comparison page.
Tick each line that is true for your institute. Every blank line is work to plan first.
- Students keep asking for the other test by name
- Your counsellors know which test your students' universities list
- Teachers have free hours for one-to-one IELTS speaking mocks
- Someone can write new practice sets for the 2026 TOEFL tasks
- Your mocks already run on screen, not on paper
Running Either Course in Vacademy
Speaking in live classes
Schedule classes on Zoom, Google Meet or YouTube Live. Reminders go by email and WhatsApp, and attendance is recorded on its own. See running live classes.
Separate batches
Keep TOEFL and IELTS students in their own batches with their own tests and reports (managing several batches).
Timed reading mocks
Passage-based questions with several questions under one text. A mock test locks its time once the student starts.
Essay feedback
AI evaluation scores long answers against your rubric and writes comments. Or assign essays to a teacher to mark by hand.
All of it runs as your own branded academy, which matters when students compare institutes (why your brand builds trust). For IELTS institutes, our IELTS coaching page has more.
What Vacademy does not do here. Tests use Vacademy's standard screen, not a TOEFL-style or IELTS-style one. Audio inside a test question and recording of spoken answers are not listed Vacademy features today; ask us in the demo. Until then, play listening clips in class or as a video lesson before a quiz.
Plan Both Batches in One Place
In a 30-minute demo, we will set up a speaking class, a timed reading mock and an essay task for your institute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is easier, TOEFL or IELTS?
Neither test body says one is easier, and we will not either. They test the same four skills in different formats. A student who freezes in front of a person may prefer a test recorded on a computer, and a student who types slowly may struggle with both.
Is paper-based IELTS still available in India?
The IELTS partners said on 5 March 2026 that paper-based IELTS would end from mid-2026, with dates set market by market. On 13 November 2026, IDP's India site listed no paper-based IELTS. Students choose IELTS on computer or IELTS with Writing on Paper, where only the essays are handwritten. Check the booking page before you plan a batch around it.
Is TOEFL Speaking done with a person?
No. In the TOEFL iBT, students speak into a microphone and their answers are recorded. IELTS Speaking is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, which is also recorded.
How are TOEFL and IELTS scores reported in 2026?
TOEFL iBT gives a score from 1 to 6 for each section and overall, in half bands, plus a comparable 0 to 120 score for two years after January 2026. IELTS gives bands from 1 to 9, in whole or half bands.
Can Vacademy run TOEFL and IELTS mock tests?
Vacademy runs timed mock tests on its standard test screen, with passage-based and long-answer questions. Speaking practice runs in live classes. AI drafts marks and feedback on written answers. There is no TOEFL-style or IELTS-style test screen. Recording spoken answers is not a listed feature today, so ask us in the demo.
TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of ETS. IELTS is a registered trademark of the IELTS partners. Vacademy is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS or the IELTS partners.