The person should be able to communicate with others. Thus, the English test took place before giving the person an official document to pursue studies in another country.
Thus the students need to clear the test with minimum marks that confirm that the person would be able to communicate if he or she migrates for studies. The test that takes place during the study visa for the Proper understanding of English is the ESOL and IELTS.
ESOL vs IELTS
The difference between ESOL and IELTS is that one is for the English test taken for the working visa while the other is for the study visa, respectively. The IELTS is the test that is taken by the students belonging to countries with non-native English Language. The ESOL is the test which person clears if he or she are applying for a job and going to another country for some working purposes.
The ESOL certificate does not come with an expiry date. Therefore, the certificate can be used again, and the person does not need to appear in the exam again.
The students who clear the exam get a certificate that is valid for only two years. After two years, if the student again wants to go to a foreign country via a study visa.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | ESOL | IELTS |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Form | The full form of ESOL is English to Speakers of Other Languages. | The full form of IELTS is International English Language Testing System. |
| Validity | The Certificate of the ESOL does not come with an expiry date. | The Certificate of the IELTS is valid for two years. |
| Visa | The working visa needs the ESOL certificate. | The study visa mainly requires an IELTS certificate. But in some cases, even the work visa also requires the IELTS. |
| Countries | The ESOL is required where the English language is native. | The IELTS is required mainly by New Zealand, US, UK, and Australia. |
| Number of Questions | There are 150 questions approximately. | The paper consists of four sections: Reading Writing, Speaking, and Listening. |
| Duration | The duration of the exam is 3 hours. | The duration of the exam is around one hour thirty minutes. |
| Minimum Marks | A minimum score of 220 is required to clear the ESOL test. | Some universities even consider a 5.0 score sufficient for admission while it depends from university to university. |
What is ESOL?
The ESOL stands for the English to Speakers of Other Languages. The ESOL paper is mainly required by a person when he or she is applying for a job in another country.
Thus, if the person once returned and again applies for the visa. He or she may not need to appear in the test again.
Every profession has a different type of paper. Like an English teacher appears for the TESOL. That is only prepared for the teaching profession.
What is IELTS?
The IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. The students who want to apply for the study visa appear in the IELTS exam.
The Listening section requires around 30 minutes to complete, the reading section needs 15 minutes at most. While the speaking and writing sections take a maximum of 10 minutes.
The minimum score a student requires to clear the exam is a 5.0 score. Yet, the score varies from university to university according to the rules of the university.
Main Differences Between ESOL and IELTS
- The duration of ESOL is three hours, but the IELTS can be attempted in half the time of ESOL.
- The ESOL Certificate has no expiry date, whereas the IELTS Certificate is valid for only two years.
References
- http://www.tesl-ej.org/ej35/r2.pdf
- https://www.britishcouncil.or.th/sites/default/files/ielts-brochure-online.pdf
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
My name is Emma Smith am a highly talented and versatile individual with a passion for English, sports, and law. Read more about me on my bio page.
