Almost every university abroad asks for proof of English, and the two tests most often accepted are IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT. Both test reading, listening, speaking and writing, both scores are valid for two years, and both are accepted by thousands of universities — but they differ in format, scoring and cost, and one of them changed completely in 2026.
IELTS Academic takes 2 hours 45 minutes and is scored in bands from 0 to 9, in half bands. The speaking test is a face-to-face interview with an examiner, and results on computer usually arrive in 1 to 5 days. In India the fee is ₹19,000, and the IELTS for UKVI version costs ₹19,250. Most bachelor’s programmes ask for 6.0 to 6.5 overall, and most master’s programmes ask for 6.5. IELTS is the safer choice for the UK and Australia, and it is the only one of the two accepted for UK visa applications.
TOEFL iBT changed on 21 January 2026. It now takes about 90 minutes, with adaptive reading and listening sections and shorter task types, and it is scored on a new 1-to-6 band scale linked to the Common European Framework, replacing the old 0-to-120 total. Until January 2028, score reports also show a comparable old-scale score, and the test owner suggests converting old requirements as follows: 100 becomes 5, 90 becomes 4.5 and 80 becomes 4. The test can be taken at a centre or at home, results arrive in about 3 days, and in India the fee is US$164. Most bachelor’s programmes ask for the equivalent of 79 to 90 on the old scale, and most master’s programmes ask for 90 to 100. TOEFL is favoured by universities in the United States and Canada.
Two other tests are worth knowing. PTE Academic costs ₹18,900 in India, is scored from 10 to 90, and gives results within 48 hours. The Duolingo English Test costs US$70, is scored from 10 to 160, and also gives results within 48 hours, but it is accepted by fewer universities and is not a visa test in most countries. Before booking any test, check the exact requirement on the programme page of each university you apply to, because the required score and the accepted tests differ by programme — and check the fee on the test provider’s own booking page, because fees are set by country and change. Sources: IELTS and ETS — TOEFL (accessed 10 November 2026).
