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In depth, they distinguish each other in various aspects. Integrating Bachman’s test method facet and Alderson’s variables of reading nature, the article builds a comparison framework for the reading sections and finds shared similarities in rubrics and input format, with differences in scoring methods, procedures, and task specifications. Substantial gaps appear in language nature and task characteristics, affecting performance: TOEFL iBT reading is more difficult in readability, text types, topical features, and question types, while IELTS is more complex in text length and grammatical intricacy.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-comparison-of-toefl-ibt-and-ielts-reading-tests-comprehensive-analysis/488340/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-comparison-of-toefl-ibt-and-ielts-reading-tests-comprehensive-analysis/488340.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Levi","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What framework does the article use to compare TOEFL iBT and IELTS reading sections?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"It integrates Bachman’s framework of test method facet with Alderson’s variables of reading nature to formulate a comparison framework specifically for reading tests.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Where do TOEFL iBT and IELTS reading tests show the most similarity?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"They share similarities in test rubrics and input format.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"What major differences affect test takers’ performance between the two reading tests?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"The article identifies substantial differences in the nature of language and task characteristics: TOEFL iBT is described as harder in readability, text types, topical features, and question types, while IELTS is more complex in text length and grammatical intricacy.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},488340,1790948017,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":145,"read_time":146,"preview_page_count":4},7971461740909,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2018, 6, 283-309  \n[http://www.scirp.org/journal/jss](http://www.scirp.org/journal/jss)  \nISSN Online: 2327-5960  \nISSN Print: 2327-5952  \nA Comparison of TOEFL iBT and IELTS Reading Tests  \nYing Li  \nSchool of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China  \nHow to cite this paper: Li, Y. (2018) A Comparison of TOEFL iBT and IELTS Reading Tests. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 6, 283-309.  \n[https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2018.68023](https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2018.68023)  \nReceived: July 20, 2018  \nAccepted: August 26, 2018  \nPublished: August 29, 2018  \nCopyright © 2018 by author and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.  \nThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0) .  \n[http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)  \nOpen Access  \nAbstract  \nWith the increasing popularity among test takers and mounting acceptance from academic institutions, TOEFL iBT and IELTS are regarded and treated as equals due to similar purposes and goals. In depth, they distinguish eachother in various aspects. By integrating Bachman’s framework of test method facet and Alderson’s variables of reading nature, this article formulates a comparison framework in an attempt to compare the reading parts of these two tests. The results show they share more similarities in test rubrics and input format and slightly differ from each other in score method and specification of procedures and tasks. However, substantial differences are identified in such areas as the nature of language and characteristics of tasks, which has a significant impact on test takers’ performance because TOEFL iBT reading test is more difficult in terms of readability, text types, topical features and question types, while IELTS more complex in text length and grammatical intricacy.  \nKeywords  \nTOEFL iBT Reading Tests, IELTS Reading Tests, Test Comparison Analysis  \n1. Introduction  \nIELTS and TOEFL iBT are two of the most widely available and accepted, the most authentic, objective and researched language proficiency tests. They are originally and mainly designed to act as a proof of English proficiency as a foreign language for non-native English speakers with a plan to study in a foreign higher institution where they are required to communicate effectively in the classroom, on the campus and even in the culture. However, an increasing number of domestic universities in the countries of non-English speaking world begin to acknowledge the results of these two international standardized English  \nDOI: 10.4236/jss.2018.68023 Aug. 29, 2018 283 Open Journal of Social Sciences  \ntests when they are admitting Ph.D. or master candidates. Take China for example, Peking University, one of the top universities, requires its Ph.D. candidates to have a certificate of Academic IELTS (no less than Band 7) or TOEFL iBT (no less than 95) . Otherwise, those candidates have to participate in the English test in accompany with other subject tests administered by the university itself. Some of the candidates choose to take either of these two tests because they have more chances to take the exam. Despite shared purpose and ambition, these two test batteries differ widely in such aspects as testing approach and criteria. Therefore, candidates are faced with one difficult choice: which test to take? When they turn to English teachers for advice, teachers may provide some suggestions based on their own experience; or when they search for the answer on the Internet; in most cases, the analysis given is simple and not evidence-based. One of the examples is that Ross [1] simply says TOELF iBT is easier than IELTS due to its consistent test format. As a matter of fact, things are much complicated than that. To provide a reliable guidance, this article aims to offer a comprehensive analysis by comparing the reading parts of these two international language te","cbCaierERfc8Btxb","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaierERfc8Btxb","pdf",839112,27,"English","# Introduction\n## Framework for Comparison\n### Characteristics of Input Format: Length of Text","[{\"question\":\"What framework does the article use to compare TOEFL iBT and IELTS reading sections?\",\"answer\":\"It integrates Bachman’s framework of test method facet with Alderson’s variables of reading nature to formulate a comparison framework specifically for reading tests.\"},{\"question\":\"Where do TOEFL iBT and IELTS reading tests show the most similarity?\",\"answer\":\"They share similarities in test rubrics and input format.\"},{\"question\":\"What major differences affect test takers’ performance between the two reading tests?\",\"answer\":\"The article identifies substantial differences in the nature of language and task characteristics: TOEFL iBT is described as harder in readability, text types, topical features, and question types, while IELTS is more complex in text length and grammatical intricacy.\"}]","A Comparison of TOEFL iBT and IELTS Reading Tests - Comprehensive Analysis | PDF",1790812747,68]