USA study abroad guide with IELTS and TOEFL
IELTS and TOEFL are the exams that have been accepted by many countries to test the English proficiency of the students who want to go abroad for further studies or work. In this article we will discuss about “USA study abroad guide with IELTS and TOEFL“.
About a million students take these tests to fulfill their dreams to study or work abroad. So, if you are having the ambition to visit the USA and complete your courses this article is going to clear all your doubts.
In this article, we will discuss briefly:
- A brief idea about IELTS and TOEFL
- Which is better for the USA: IELTS or TOEFL?
- Advantages of studying in the USA
- Which are the best universities in the USA?
- What are the best courses available in the USA?
- How much does it cost to study abroad?
- Acciolbis – your study abroad program partner
USA study abroad guide with IELTS and TOEFL – A brief idea about the exam
Definition:
- IELTS or the INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM, started in 1980 by Cambridge English Language Assessment (then known as UCLES) and the British Council. It is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It’s one of the major English language tests in the world. IELTS is the only Secure English Language Test approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK.
IELTS is used by over 9,000 educational institutions worldwide.
- TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language, started in 1964 by the Modern Language Association financed by grants from the Ford Foundation and Danforth Foundation. It is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS. TOEFL is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a private non-profit organization, which designs and administers the tests.
Exam structure:
- The IELTS test consists of writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The writing, reading, and listening tests take place on the same day one after another without any break. The speaking test is usually scheduled on the afternoon of the test day. Also, it can be scheduled within seven days before or after that.
The IELTS Listening test will take about 30 minutes, and will have an extra 10 minutes to transfer the answers to the answer sheet. The listening test is the same for both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules.
The IELTS Listening test consists of four sections:
1- A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context, e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency.
2 – A monologue set in an everyday social context, e.g. a speech about local facilities.
3 – A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment.
4 – A monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.
The IELTS Reading test will take about 60 minutes. It consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used to test a wide range of reading skills. These include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognizing writers opinions, attitudes, and purpose.
The IELTS writing test will take up to 60 mins.
Speaking Skills test will take 11 to 14 minutes (the speaking test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. IELTS Speaking test is a face-to-face interview. The Speaking test is designed to assess your use of spoken English. Every test is recorded.
- TOEFL is a four-hour computerized test that includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening
The time given is 20 minutes on Speaking and 6 tasks, and 50 minutes on Writing and 2 tasks. Reading time is from 60 to 80 minutes long and 36-56 questions, while Listening time is from 60 to 90 minutes long and 44-51 questions. In between there is a 10 minutes break between the Listening and Speaking sections. In total, the exam is of 4 hours.
Which is better for the USA: IELTS or TOEFL?
Both exams are well known English language proficiency exams. IELTS is widely accepted in almost all countries but TOEFL is accepted mainly by American institutions.
- IELTS is a pen and paper-based exam but TOEFL is a computer-based exam.
- Before taking admission in the university, check whether they prefer IELTS or TOEFL marks more.
Advantages of studying in the USA
- Academic choices: The American higher education system provides the students with options according to their needs and interests.
At the undergraduate level, the student can choose different courses before they declare their major course choice at the end of the study.
At the master’s degree level, the student can customize their course according to their course works to match the academic goals.
The students always have the freedom to include ideas and opinions important to the area of academic interests.
- Career options: The international degree opens up a wide range of career prospects and a degree from reputed universities widens the scope even further. Due to the varied insight into different fields of study offered by universities of the USA, it broadens the scope of the career path that the student chooses and it is known that international companies look for candidates that offer them a different take or perspective on their products.
- Training and research opportunities: The US universities offer International students at the graduate level for research and training. Students can assist professors with research on different projects and it also allows them to work with the best in their chosen field of study.
- Supports International students: The US universities provide good guidance and support to all the students, whether it is related to visa, career, opportunities, accommodation, etc.
- Technology: The U.S has made sure that all of the education sectors are well equipped with the latest technology. This makes the life of the student much simpler with easy access to data and other technology. It is said that technology plays a vital role in research and development and American universities have made sure they do not fall behind when it comes to the advancement of their facilities and their students by introducing new methods and skills for learning.
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Which are the best universities in the USA?
- Harvard University, (Cambridge, MA)
- Stanford University, (Stanford, CA)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), (Cambridge, MA)
- The University of California, Berkeley (UCB), (Berkeley, CA)
- The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), (Los Angeles, CA)
- Columbia University, (New York, NY)
- Yale University, (New Haven, CT)
- University of Pennsylvania, (Philadelphia, PA)
- Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ)
- Cornell University, (Ithaca, NY)
What are the best courses available in the USA?
- Business Analytics and Data Science
- Business Management
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Computer Science and Information Technology
- Pharmacy
- MBBS
- Social Science
- Physical and Life Sciences
How much does it cost to study abroad?
The US is the world’s most popular destination for international students, it’s also among the most expensive choices.
Now, it has become easier for individual students to calculate how much they could expect studying in the US to cost. All US universities are now legally required to include fees and financial aid calculators on their websites, allowing students to get a rough idea of how much their intended course of study would cost and what aid they may be eligible for. These “net price calculators” can be accessed via the government’s College Affordability and Transparency Center, which also provides details of the US universities with the highest and lowest tuition fees and net costs.
- At MIT, the highest-ranked university in the US and the world, 58 % of undergraduates receive financial aid.
- At Caltech, almost 60 percent of undergraduates receive aid, while 98 percent of graduate students and 99% of doctoral candidates receive full financial support.
The tuition fees for government-funded institutions are much lesser than private universities.
- Private non-profit four-year colleges
Tuition fees – $35,830
Room and board – $12,680
- Public four-year colleges (out-of-state fees)
Tuition fees – $26,290
Room and board – $11,140
- Public four-year colleges (in-state fees)
Tuition fees – $10,230
Room and board – $11,140
- Public two-year colleges
Tuition fees – $3,660
Room and board – $8,660
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Acciolbis – your study abroad program
Acciolbis is the first application that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) for writing and speaking for competitive exams. The students can instantly evaluate their writing skills. Acciolbis also uses machine learning which is useful for estimating marks.
By joining Acciolbis, the students don’t have to take tuitions as it uses cutting-edge Artificial intelligence algorithms (Deep learning, machine learning, and natural processing language technology) which makes it possible to analyze the scores in seconds with 100% accuracy.
Acciolbis scores are as per the ETS and British Council standards. It doesn’t have any human bias.
Acciolbis also offers 24 hours of premium services for free, if you register for the very first time. You can evaluate 3 speaking and writing tasks each for free before you go for the premium membership.
