An English exam is not only a matter of level. Choosing the right test, targeting the vocabulary it actually uses, keeping your head on the day and then putting your score to work all count as much as grammar.
This page gathers everything the blog offers on the subject, and leads to a free test for each exam so you can see where you stand.
Which exam for which goal?
The right exam is the one your employer, school or immigration service asks for. When in doubt, check their requirements first: the score scales are not interchangeable.
| Exam | For whom | Prepare |
|---|---|---|
| TOEIC | Workplace English: widely required by employers and business schools. | Preparation · Free test |
| TOEFL iBT | University admissions, especially in North America. | Preparation · Free test |
| TOEFL ITP | Institutional version, taken within a school or university (placement, exchanges). | Preparation · Free test |
| IELTS General Training | Work and immigration, notably in the UK, Canada and Australia. | Preparation · Free test |
| Linguaskill | Cambridge's adaptive online test, in General and Business versions. | Preparation · Free test |
| CLOE | Professional English, worked on field by field. | Preparation · Free test |
The vocabulary each exam uses
Each exam draws on its own settings: offices, travel and recruitment for the TOEIC; campus life and academic subjects for the TOEFL. Learning these fields first is the fastest gain.
TOEIC
- The 50 essential phrasal verbs to ace the TOEIC
- Travel and logistics vocabulary: the complete TOEIC guide
- Recruitment and human resources vocabulary for the TOEIC
- Advertising and marketing vocabulary for the TOEIC
- Purchasing and negotiation vocabulary for the TOEIC
- Data analysis and graph vocabulary for the TOEIC and TOEFL
- Essential Business English Vocabulary for the Modern Workplace
TOEFL
On the day: stress, memory, concentration
Two hours of sustained attention in a foreign language is tiring in itself. These articles cover breathing, food, blanks and decision fatigue.
Confidence and method
After the score
A score opens doors, but it is not the same as being at ease in English. How to showcase it, and how to bridge the gap with real-life English.
- After the Score: How to Make the Most of Your Results on LinkedIn and in Job Interviews
- From Test English to Real English: Your Score Is Not Your Skill
- High Score, But You Don't Get the Jokes. Here's Why.
- Is the TOEFL Enough to Survive University Abroad?
- Succeeding in a job interview in English
- The art of the 2-minute elevator pitch: mastering professional networking in English
Studying and living abroad
- Personal statement vs statement of purpose: writing for an anglophone university
- Surviving Your First Lecture: Fast Note-Taking Techniques and Managing Stress
- Finding Housing Abroad: Leases, Flatsharing and Bills — The Practical Side of Expat Life
- Dating abroad: the cultural misreads nobody warns you about
- The version of you that exists only in English
See also: English tenses and modals and English pronunciation.