Which English Proficiency Test do Indian Students Prefer for Studying Abroad? | Poll Insights
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Numerous Indian students pursue a study abroad dream every year. The manifestation of this dream, however, goes through proving their proficiency in the English language, which is often the primary medium of instruction and training abroad. Read this article as we bring to you insights from the results of our latest poll on what is preferred English exam among Indian students - IELTS Vs. TOEFL Vs. PTE Vs. Duolingo.
In its latest poll, Shiksha Study Abroad asked the readers, “Which English proficiency test do you prefer for studying abroad?”, to which 822 responded with a clear choice. The clear preferences that emerged for English proficiency tests to study abroad are:
- IELTS: 49% (Most popular choice)
- PTE Academic: 34% (Strong second preference)
- Duolingo English Test: 11% (Growing alternative)
- TOEFL: 6% (Least preferred among the four)
The image of the poll result can be seen here below:
This distribution reflects careful decision-making based on specific advantages each test offers for international education aspirations. This article reflects upon the insights drawn from the choices made by Indian students going abroad on their preferred English test. We will dive deeper into determining all the possible reasons for these choices.
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Read: IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE Academic vs Duolingo- Which test you should take?
Insights from the 49% of Votes for the IELTS Exam
The IELTS exam has received the maximum votes as one of the most preferred English exams available in the market. This choice may be a result of several influences, such as the cost of the IELTS exam, its format, results-release time, recognition, etc. Let’s look deeper into several such compelling reasons below.
- Global Recognition:
- The IELTS exam is accepted by 12,000+ organisations across 140+ countries.
- It is strongly recognised in Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand.
- The IELTS exam results are valid for both academic admissions and immigration applications.
- Resource Availability:
- Well-established 80+ coaching centres are available throughout India.
- Abundant study materials are provided by IDP Education, Cambridge English and the British Council for IELTS test preparation.
- Free and paid resources are available for preparation and practice, including books, PDFs, practice tests, and mock tests.
- Test Format Features:
- The IELTS exam evaluates four skills, i.e. listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The different varieties of question types cater to different learning styles.
- Incorporates diverse accents (British, Australian, New Zealand, American).
- Face-to-face speaking assessment with a certified examiner.
Adding to the above points, there is a high visibility of successful applicants who used the IELTS exam for their study abroad requirements.
Also, Check:
| Study in UK | Study in USA | Study in Canada |
| Study in France | Study in Germany | Study in Australia |
Insights Drawn from the 39% of Votes Received for the PTE Exam
Here are the possible reasons that may have affected the decision of 39% of the voters taking this poll. These reasons may include:
- PTE Exam Format: The fully computer-based testing, including the speaking section, makes the PTE exam a completely non-biased exam.
- PTE Exam Scoring: With very little human intervention, the AI-powered scoring system is perceived as objective and consistent.
- Types of Questions: PTE Exam assesses test takers through integrated tasks that assess multiple language skills, such as speaking & writing, reading and listening simultaneously.
- PTE Exam Result Delivery: The result of the PTE exam is typically delivered within 48 hours of taking the exam. In other cases, the result may be delivered in 5-6 days, but not more than that. Students can share their results with as many universities as they want without having to pay any extra charges.
- PTE Test Dates Availability: PTE exam dates are available year-round. Test takers can even book a slot 24 hours before taking the exam.
- Test Question Approach: The PTE exam tests "international English" rather than specific regional variants. Hence, it is perceived as more accessible and relevant to real-world communication.
- Worldwide recognition: The PTE exam is increasingly getting recognised across the world. It is also recognised by the governments of Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand for visa and immigration purposes.
Duolingo Surpassing the TOEFL Exam: Poll Results
Here are the top compelling points about the Duolingo English Test (DET) that may lead it to be chosen more than the TOEFL exam:
- Duolingo Exam Fee: The Duolingo exam is currently the lowest priced English exam among the top 4 - IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo. The Duolingo exam fee in 2025 for Indian students is only INR 6000 (USD 70). This, when clubbed with the advantage of getting to share the results with as many universities as you want without any extra fees, makes DET increasingly popular among Indian students.
- Exam Accessibility: Unlike other English tests, Duolingo can be taken from the comfort of one’s home. So, they won’t have to travel to the test centres on the scheduled test date.
- Duolingo test format: The exam is also shorter than most other English tests, with only 1 hour duration.
- Results Delivery: Similar to the PTE exam, the Duolingo exam results are also released within 48 hours of taking the exam. This is, in turn, beneficial for students with tight deadlines.
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Insights from the Lowest Poll Votes Received to the TOEFL Exam
While not confirmed, the following may be the possible reasons for a decline in votes for the TOEFL exam:
- More Academic Focus: Being one of the oldest English tests, the TOEFL exam is strongly oriented towards university-level materials. Its reading passages are similar to college-level texts, and integrated tasks require synthesis of information. This makes the test preferred for research-oriented programs in North America.
- Recognition: Widely accepted in American and Canadian universities, while also accepted in other major destinations around the world, like the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, etc.
- TOEFL Exam Slots Availability: Another reason for the PTE exam surpassing the TOEFL exam is the flexibility of booking the exam slot even 24 hours before. While you need to book the TOEFL exam at least 3 days ago the test date.
- The other reason that might argue for the lowest votes received by the TOEFL test is the higher popularity of the IELTS and PTE tests. While TOEFL is also very widely known, the global acceptance of the IELTS exam and the shorter duration and immediate release of the PTE exam result proved to be more beneficiary for Indian students.
Deep Dive: Why Indian Students Made These Test Choices
Here are the possible reasons that have led test takers to make the above choices in the poll.
Each of these exams - PTE (Pearson Test of English), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - are widely accepted for studying abroad. However, which exam will be most suitable for you depends on several conditions. Below are some parameters that you can consider to make the best decision.
| Difference between IELTS, TOEFL and PTE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parameters | IELTS | TOEFL | PTE |
| Time duration | 2 hours 44 minutes, with speaking test on a separate day | 2 hours, all 4 skills assessed the same day | 2 hours, all 4 skills assessed the same day |
| Fees | INR 18,000 | INR 16,900 | INR 18,000 |
| Scoring | 0-9 band scale | 0-120 scale | 10-90 scale |
| Results declaration | Pen and Paper Test: 13 days Computer-based Test at the test centre: 1-5 days | 4-8 days | 2 days |
| Scoring Criteria | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking
| reading, writing, listening and speaking | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking along with oral and written fluency, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary |
| Exam Mode | Pen and Paper based and Computer-based (online) | Pen and Paper based and Computer-based (online) | Computer-based (online) only |
Yes, PTE may seem harder to some students who have taken the IELTS exam earlier. This is because the PTE exam is concluded in a single sitting of 2 hours. However, the IELTS exam takes place in two different sittings within a span of a week. This gives students more time to prepare for the speaking part of the IELTS test.
One other difficulty that the student may come around is that the test is completely automated and student may not find any human examiner for any part of the test. This might intimidate the students who are not comfortable with taking the test on a computer.
Both IELTS and PTE are English proficiency tests required to study abroad in countries where the native language is English. However, the comparison between the two will depend entirely on the student’s preferences and purpose of taking the test. Below are a few points that can help you make clear choices.
Acceptance: IELTS is more widely accepted worldwide while PTE is less acceptable. However, the latter is getting increasingly accepted by more and more institutions and organisations in the world owing to its faster processing time. Both the exams are accepted for Australian student visas and migration applications.
Exam Pattern: Both the IELTS and PTE exams comprise the Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking sections. However, the duration and the sequence of assessing these 4 core English language skills differ in both exams.
The IELTS exam assesses Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes) and Writing (60 minutes) skills in a sequence while Speaking (10-14 minutes) is assessed face-to-face by a real examiner. This is done on a different date from the actual IELTS exam, maybe till a week later. You may expect to get your IELTS exam results after 1 or 2 weeks of taking the exam depending on the type of exam you opted for (on-paper or computer-based).
On the contrary, the sequence of assessment of these core skills in the PTE exam is Speaking and Writing (50 - 67 minutes), Reading (30 minutes) and Listening 30-45 minutes. The total duration of the exam is 2 hours and test takers can expect to see their results within 48 hours of taking the exam.
Assessment: The Speaking section in the IELTS exam is assessed separately in real-time by the English experts in a face-to-face round which is often conducted a week after your IELTS exam date.
The Speaking section in the PTE exam is assessed along with the Writing section which is a more natural way to assess test taker’s skills. The speaking section along with all other sections are completed online, on the computer and are assessed by artificial intelligence.
Release of Results: PTE releases its test results within 48 hours of taking the test. However, the IELTS exam result can take around a week's or 2 weeks' time to get relesaed. IELTS scores are generated by English experts who compare your performance with the global standards while PTE uses an automated scoring system by using AI.
These factors may help you arrive at your decision of which exam to choose from for your academic endeavours.
The "better" test depends on your specific needs and goals. Both TOEFL and IELTS are widely accepted English proficiency tests, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
The TOEFL exam is widely accepted in all the universities present in major study-abroad destinations such as the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The mode of the TOEFL exam is computer-based and it focuses more on the academic English. The exam takes 2 hours to complete in which it assesses all four skills of the test taker namely - speaking, listening, reading and writing.
On the other hand, the IELTS exam covers modeules from both academic English and general training English. However, the IELTS exam format differ entirely from that of the TOEFL exam. The IELTS exam takes a total of 3 hours to get completed in two different sittings. Students have to take the speaking section (11-14 minutes, with a real examiner) of the test up to 7 days either before or after taking the main IELTS exam in which the reading, listening and writing skills are assessed in the time frame of 2 hours and 44 minutes.
The other main points of difference between the IELTS and TOEFL exams are given below. Students can choose the exam that suits them the best based on the following and above-mentioned information.
| IELTS Vs TOEFL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | TOEFL | IELTS |
| Format | Computer-based | Computer-based or paper-based |
| Focus | Academic English | Academic or general English |
| Speaking | Computer-based | Face-to-face with an examiner |
| Scoring | 0-120 | 0-9 |
Both the PTE Academic and IELTS have been designed to understand the English language proficiency of the candidate. They have been designed to test the writing, speaking reading, and listening skills of the test taker. Hence, both the tests are at par with each other and the candidate should opt for the one he is comfortable in. However, there are some points of differences that must be noted when making a decision, these are:
- The PTE exam (2 hours) is shorter than the IELTS exam (3 hours).
- All the segments (sections) of a PTE exam are tested within a day, in a single sitting. However, the different sections in an IELTS exam are assessed on different days.
- The IELTS exam tests speaking, listening, reading and writing proficiencies in the English language separately, which may not be appropriate for testing the real-life comprehension abilities of the test-taker. On the other side, the PTE exam tests all these skills simultaneously based on the belief that successful communication is developed by combining all these skills together.
- Your performance in a PTE exam is judged by AI, which leaves little to no room for human errors and any sort of bias. the scores awarded in this manner are mostly accurate. While, in an IELTS exam, a human examiner is present to test your overall English proficiency.
- Results can be expected within two days of taking the PTE exam, while the IELTS exam results are released later.
The main difference between PTE Academic and PTE Core lies in their intended purpose, test format, and where they are accepted. Here are the basic differences between above given PTE exam patterns:
| Difference between PTE Academic and PTE Core | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | PTE Academic | PTE Core |
| Purpose | Used for university admissions and student visa application. | Primarily used for immigration to Canada. |
| Test Format | Contains tasks based on everyday lectures and academic discussions. | Contains tasks based on everyday conversations and workplace English. |
| Level of Difficulty | Slightly more challenging due to academic content | Simpler for general English users |
| Target Audience | Students applying to colleges/universities abroad | Skilled workers, immigrants applying for PR or work |
| Accepting Countries | Widely accepted in USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | Accepted by IRCC (Canada) for permanent residency & work |
| Test Duration | ~2 hours | ~2 hours |
Currently, IDP has multiple IELTS test centes spread across 75 cities in India providing a seamless IELTS testing experience to candidates. The best IELTS center would be the one that is the nearest to the candidate and have his/her preferred date for the IELTS test. IELTS test centers are present in:
| Ahmedabad | Amritsar | IELTS Exam Centres in Bangalore |
| Bhatinda | Bhopal | Bhubaneswar |
| Calicut | Chandigarh | IELTS Test Centers and Exam Dates in Chennai |
| Coimbatore | Delhi | IELTS Exam Centers in Hyderabad |
| Jaipur | Jalandhar | Kochi |
| Kolkata | Kottayam | Lucknow |
| Ludhiana | Madurai | IELTS Test Center in Mumbai |
| Navi Mumbai | Patiala | Pune |
| Raipur | Rajkot | Surat |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Thrissur | Trichy |
| Vijayawada | n/a | n/a |
- Career Aspirations and Destination Preferences: Australia and Canada have become increasingly popular destinations for Indian students. These countries have strong IELTS and PTE recognition for both education and immigration. The potential pathway to permanent residency influences the test choice significantly.
- School-Based English Education: Most Indian schools teach British English, making IELTS's UK-influenced format more familiar. The emphasis on written tasks and conventional grammar aligns with traditional Indian education.
- Test Preparation Ecosystem: Coaching centres flourish in urban and semi-urban India, particularly for IELTS. The ₹40,000+ crore test preparation industry heavily influences student choices. Regional coaching hubs in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh create test preference clusters.
- Peer Influence and Social Networks: Success stories from friends and relatives heavily influence test selection. "Word-of-mouth" recommendations carry substantial weight in Indian decision-making. Community forums and WhatsApp groups share experiences and advice about specific tests.
This was all about the insights from our poll to draw the conclusion on which is preferred English exam amongst the Indian students between IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo. For more information about studying abroad, reach out to Shiksha’s Counselling Services for free.
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How difficult or easy would one find the Duolingo English Test and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will depend upon individual factors such as one's familiarity with the test format and content, language skills, and background. The former evaluates a person's language skills in a duration less than that of the IELTS. Adaptive exercises appear in sequence and measure one's speaking, listening, reading and writing potential. On the contrary, IELTS takes more time to complete and is a traditional exam that evaluates one's English language proficiency in the aforementioned four areas.