WHAT DO I PREPARE FOR: TOEFL OR ADVANCED?
If you want to study or work in an English-speaking country, you may have already noticed that many institutions will ask you for a certification that reflects a good command of English. Both TOEFL and Advanced (CAE) are exams that will allow you to demonstrate that you have a high enough level of English to interact in academic or work environments. But what is the difference between these two exams? Which one should you choose? In this article, we will help you to clarify these doubts. First, we will talk about the structure and content of the TOEFL, then about the Advanced, and finally we will show you a comparison between the two.
Table of Contents
TOEFL IBT: Content, Structure and Recognition
The TOEFL iBT is a test that comprehensively evaluates the 4 English language skills you would need to interact successfully in an academic or work environment. When we talk about 4 skills, we mean identifying your level of English in:
- Reading
- Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
This assessment is conducted within an academic setting. That is, the content you will see on the TOEFL iBT will be related to many topics that you may have already studied in high school, for example, topics in history, geography, biology, science, art, etc. However, in order to score high on this test, you do not need to have any prior knowledge of these areas. What is really important is your ability to understand texts and audios effectively, as well as to express yourself orally or in writing.
The TOEFL is a test that is currently recognized internationally in 160 countries and in more than 11,500 institutions. Also, because of its point accumulation system, it is not a pass or fail test, simply a higher or lower score will indicate whether you are at one level of English or another.
If you would like to dig deeper into the TOEFL exam we recommend you visit our TOEFL page.
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ADVANCED: Content, Structure and Recognition
The Advanced exam is one of the four Cambridge English Assessment (CAE) exams. The specific purpose of this exam is to evaluate if the person has an advanced level of English to perform in academic or work environments. In other words, if the person passes the exam, he/she obtains the advanced certification, but if he/she does not pass the exam, he/she will not obtain the certification. This is perhaps one of the biggest differences with respect to the TOEFL, the Advanced exam is pass or fail. To pass the exam you will have to obtain a minimum score of 180 points, within a general scale that goes from 80 to 230 points. The Advanced exam tests the same 4 competencies as the TOEFL, but each section is structured differently:- Reading and Use of English: this section consists of 8 parts, with a total of 56 questions. While sections 1, 5, 6, 6, 7, and 8 are focused on text comprehension. Parts 2, 3, 4 focus more on vocabulary and grammar. In the Reading portion, the texts can range in length from 3,000 to 3,500 words, and can be of different styles (academic and non-academic). The total time to complete the entire section is 1hr and 30 minutes.
- Writing: in this section you will have to write two texts. One of the questions will be compulsory, while in the other you will be able to choose one question from three options. As in the Reading section, the content of the Writing section will not necessarily be academic. That is, one of the questions may be to write an essay, but another may be to write a letter or an email. The total duration of this section is 1hr 30 minutes.
- Listening: this section consists of 4 parts with a total of 30 questions, each worth 1 point. The audios in this section may be quite varied, including talks, interviews, radio programs, etc. The total time you will have to complete this section will be 40 minutes.
- Speaking: finally, this section is always completed face-to-face, with a partner either chosen by you or assigned to you that day. The Speaking section consists of 4 questions, where you are expected to talk with your partner about the statement or activity you have been given. The time you have to talk about each of these questions varies in the range of 1.5-5 minutes. The total time for the entire section is 15 minutes.
TOEFL iBT or Advanced?
Now that we have seen the main features of both exams (TOEFL vs. Advanced), we will help you understand the main differences so that you can choose the exam that best suits you.
Hopefully this blog post has resolved all your doubts. However, if you have questions in regards to your TOEFL preparation, get in touch and we will let you know how EPIC PREP can help you achieve your goals. Differently, if you prefer to continue reading here is the link to our TOEFL courses page.
