COMPARING…TOEFL vs TRINITY vs CAMBRIDGE

TOEFL vs TRINITY vs CAMBRIDGE

Looking for the right certification? Then, this post is for you. Here you can find a comparison among TOEFL , Trinity College  (Integrated Skills in English) and Cambridge certifications.

The first question you must ask yourself is what you need the certification for. Having that in mind, you must know that TOEFL prepares you for the academic English requirement of a university, since TOEFL prepares students who plan to study at a higher education institutions. Whereas Integrated Skills in English (ISE) exams are intended for young people and adults who prepare themselves for academic study and employability and Cambridge English qualifications are aimed at schools, general and higher education and business.

If you are still unsure which certification to take, then go on reading. We are going to analyse the different certifications in depth.

First of all, you must know that ISE and Cambridge exams are available at levels from A2 to C2 on the Common European Framework, so there is a level for every learner, however, TOEFL’s level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced. 

Secondly, the exam length isn’t the same either. The TOEFL exam consists of four sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, which take around four hours with a ten-minute break in between;  ISE consists of two exam modules Reading & Writing and Speaking & Listening that can be taken together, or at different times. The Reading & Writing module takes two hours and the Speaking & Listening takes from 13 to 25 minutes depending on the level chosen. Finally,  Cambridge exams are divided into four papers, Reading and Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking, which takes about three hours and a half.

Thirdly, the four skills are assessed by means of different tasks. These tasks might vary depending on the level so I have chosen B2 level of each certification in order to compare them. Here you have a table:

	TOEFL	CAMBRIDGE	ISE
READING	Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions (36-56)	(and Use of English). Seven parts: Multiple-choice cloze Open cloze, Word formation, Key word transformations).6 questions, Multiple choice, Gapped text, Multiple matching.	Four tasks: Long reading with 15 questions. Multi-text reading. (four texts). Reading into Writing. Extended writing.
WRITING	Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing (2 tasks)	Two parts: Compulsory question, Situationally based writing task
LISTENING	Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions (34-51)	Four parts: Multiple choice Sentence completion Multiple matching Multiple choice	Four tasks: Topic. Collaborative. Conversation Independent listening.
SPEAKING	Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks (6 tasks)	Four parts: Interview, Long turn, Collaborative task, Discussion

And last but not least, the price of these certifications, how much you should spend on testing your knowledge of the English language. Well, they are more or less the same price for the same levels, about 200 euros for B2 level: €192 Cambridge, €210 Toefl and €204.

Now, you have the information you need to choose wisely the certification that best suits you. It’s your turn! Good luck!