Choosing

TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS or Linguaskill?

The right test is decided by your reader, not by you. Start from the requirement and work backwards.

Updated 21 August 2026 3 min read

These four tests are not four versions of the same thing. They measure different kinds of English, for different readers. The right test is therefore neither the easiest nor the cheapest: it is the one the organisation asking for it will accept.

Start from the end

Read the admissions page, the job advert or the course regulations and note the exact wording. "A certified B2 level" is not "a TOEIC of 785": the first opens several tests, the second opens exactly one.

The comparison in one table

Four tests, four purposes
	TOEIC L&R	TOEFL iBT	IELTS	Linguaskill
Publisher	ETS	ETS	British Council / IDP / Cambridge	Cambridge
English measured	Workplace	Academic	Academic and general	Workplace
Skills	Listening, reading	All four	All four	Modular
Scale	10 – 990	0 – 120	0 – 9 bands	82 – 180
Duration	≈ 2 h	≈ 2 h	≈ 2 h 45	≈ 1 h 20
Typical reader	Employers, engineering schools	English-speaking universities	Universities, immigration	Employers, schools
Validity	2 years	2 years	2 years	No fixed limit

Which test for which need

A French engineering or business degree

Overwhelmingly the TOEIC. The Commission des titres d'ingénieur states its requirement as a CEFR B2 level, and schools standardised on the corresponding TOEIC score. Some accept other tests — increasingly Linguaskill — but your own school's regulations decide, not a national rule.

Applying to a company in France

The TOEIC is by far the most recognised among French recruiters, to the point where a score of 850 reads without explanation. Linguaskill is gaining ground in companies for its speed — results within 48 hours, a short format — but its scale usually needs explaining.

Studying at an English-speaking university

TOEFL or IELTS, almost always. The TOEIC is practically never accepted for international admission, because it measures neither writing nor the ability to follow a lecture. Booking a TOEIC for an overseas application is the most expensive mistake on this list.

Immigration

IELTS, or whichever tests the destination country specifically designates. Neither the TOEIC nor Linguaskill is designed for this. Trust only the official list published by the authority concerned.

What the TOEIC does not measure

One thing is rarely said, and it explains half the misunderstandings: TOEIC Listening and Reading is a comprehension test. It never makes you speak or write.

The direct consequence: a 950 certifies that you understand workplace English very well, in speech and in writing. It does not certify that you can chair a meeting in English. Experienced recruiters know this, which is why interviews often include an English section despite a strong score.

If production is part of what is expected of you, there are TOEIC tests that measure it — see which TOEIC test to take.

Where price fits in

TOEIC Listening and Reading is the cheapest of the four for a structural reason: it is entirely multiple choice and machine-scored. As soon as a test needs human raters for production, its cost climbs — true of the TOEFL, the IELTS and the TOEIC 4-Skills alike.

But price should never settle this choice. A cheaper test your reader does not accept costs 100% of its price. TOEIC fees are broken down in how much the TOEIC costs.

If the TOEIC really is what you need

The format is idiosyncratic and can be trained independently of your English level: practise all seven parts under real conditions before paying for a session.

Quick answers

Which test do French engineering schools want?

Overwhelmingly the TOEIC, because the CTI diploma requirement is expressed as a CEFR B2 level and schools have standardised on the TOEIC score that corresponds to it.

Is the TOEFL harder than the TOEIC?

Different, not harder. The TOEFL tests academic English — lectures, essays, source-based speaking — while the TOEIC tests workplace listening and reading.

Can I use the TOEIC to study abroad?

Rarely. Anglophone universities almost always ask for TOEFL or IELTS. Check the exact wording of the admission page before you book anything.

Sources

Fees, deadlines and funding rules change. Where a number matters to your decision, check it against the official page linked here before you book.

Now find out where you actually stand

Reading about the test only gets you so far. Take a section under real conditions and get a score on the official 10–990 scale.

Start the practice test Interpret a score

Keep reading

Which TOEIC test should you take?

Four tests, four score scales. Booking the wrong one is an expensive mistake to discover afterwards.

TOEIC score to CEFR level

The official mapping is per section. Add the two B2 cut scores and you get 785 — that is not a coincidence.

How much does the TOEIC cost?

The headline price is not the whole bill. Here is what you pay, what varies, and what you can skip.