Differences Between TOEIC and TOEFL

If English is not your first language, you will most likely have to take a test like the Test of English as a Foreign Language as part of your college application. Likewise, if you are applying for a job in an English-speaking country, you may have to take the Test of English for International Communication as part of the hiring process. There are several key differences between these two tests.

Who Takes the TOEFL vs. the TOEIC

The TOEFL measures the test-taker's ability to function in an English-speaking academic environment. The target test-taker for the TOEFL is a candidate for higher education in an English-speaking country. The TOEIC, on the other hand, measures the ability to function in a general work environment. This test is used in nonacademic settings as a measure of the ability of a current or potential employee to communicate effectively in English in a variety of business settings and situations.

Test Formats

The TOEFL is a four-section test that includes sections for reading, listening, speaking and writing. It is taken exclusively on the computer. The TOEIC is broken into two separate but complementary exams: the Reading and Listening Test, which is a paper-and-pencil test, and the Speaking and Writing Test, which is taken on a computer. The exams are broken up in this way so potential employers can choose to measure an employee's reading and listening or speaking and writing skills only, or all four language skills. The Reading and Listening Test will take about two-and-a-half hours to complete, and for the Speaking and Writing Test, the speaking section will last about 20 minutes, and the writing section will take 60 minutes to complete.

Test Content

In the TOEFL, the test-taker is measured on his ability to function in an academic environment. In this regard, the vocabulary on this test is academic in nature and is similar to the vocabulary used in college text books. The topics of the reading and listening passages are similarly academic. You may read a passage on bird migration, for example, or listen to a lecture from an economics course. The TOEIC, on the other hand, measures the test-taker's ability to function in a business environment. Topics may range from dining out in a restaurant to presenting in a budget meeting.

Test Scores

On the TOEFL iBT, the maximum possible score is 120 -- 30 points for each of the four sections. There is no "passing score" and colleges and universities will have their own requirements for admission, which test-takers can find information about through the admissions office. The TOEIC Reading and Listening test gives the test-taker a score of 10 to 990, which corresponds to bands in the Common European Framework measure of English proficiency. A test-taker will receive scores of zero to 200 for the Speaking and Writing Tests separately, again which corresponds to the CEF standards of English-language proficiency measurements.

Conclusion :

TOEIC score starts from 400 to 990. There are 6 levels are novice, elementary, intermediate, basic working proficiency, advanced proficiency working, and general professional proficiency. While TOEFL score of 310 has a range of up to 677. You must have a minimum TOEFL score of 550. There are three levels in the TOEFL IBT (Internet Based Test), CBT (Computer Based Test), and PBT (Paper Based Test). TOEFL score has a validity period of only two years, if it has been more than two years you have to take the TOEFL test again.

if you want to master the use of the TOEIC then you should be able to know the basis of TOEFL beforehand.

Source :

http://education.seattlepi.com/differences-between-toefl-toeic-1513.html