Should Students Learn TOEIC or IELTS? Benefits & Opportunities

Should students learn TOEIC or IELTS? Detailed comparison

IELTS is an international English certificate that fully evaluates the four skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, suitable for academic, study-abroad and settlement goals. Meanwhile, TOEIC focuses on measuring the ability to use English in an international working environment, especially office communication.

Each certificate serves a different goal; specifically TOEIC is suitable for students oriented towards working early in an enterprise environment, especially the economics, service and office industries. Meanwhile, IELTS is suitable for students who want to comprehensively develop English skills and aim for study, research or work abroad.

When choosing the right certificate, students will save study time and revision costs. Studying in the right direction helps improve the effectiveness of using English in reality, instead of just chasing a qualification. Therefore, students should carefully consider their study and career goals to make the optimal decision.

TOEIC and IELTS are suitable for different study and work goals

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The similarities and differences between IELTS and TOEIC

Although both evaluate English proficiency, each certificate serves different goals and audiences. Clearly understanding the similarities and differences will help students choose the right direction from the start.

The similarities between IELTS and TOEIC:

Both are international English certificates, highly valued for accuracy and objectivity in measuring language proficiency
Built, organised and closely supervised by prestigious educational organisations in the world
Widely accepted in many countries, universities, enterprises and recruitment organisations
The validity of both certificates is 2 years from the date of issue
Evaluate the ability to use English, in which IELTS tests all 4 skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing while TOEIC in Vietnam mainly focuses on Listening and Reading skills

So is TOEIC or IELTS easier? Below is a comparison table of the difference between IELTS and TOEIC that helps learners easily see the differences in exam structure, suitable audience, scoring scale and purpose of use of each certificate.

Criteria	IELTS	TOEIC
Exam structure	Includes all 4 skills of Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking. Has two forms, Academic and General Training	Has two forms including Listening – Reading (common in Vietnam) and the 4-skill exam Listening – Reading – Speaking – Writing
Suitable audience	Suitable for people who need to study abroad, do academics, research or work and settle abroad	Suitable for students and workers who need English in an enterprise environment and real work
Scoring scale and calculation	A scoring scale from 0 to 9 for each skill, the total score is the average of the 4 skills with equal weight	A maximum scoring scale of 990 for Listening and Reading, each skill a maximum of 495 points. Speaking and Writing (if taken) a maximum of 200 points each skill
Method of proficiency evaluation	Comprehensively evaluates the ability to use English in both academics and real communication	Evaluates the ability to use English in the working environment and professional communication
Exam fee	About 4,664,000 VND for both the paper-based and computer-based forms	TOEIC 2 skills from about 1,330,000 – 1,500,000 VND, TOEIC 4 skills from about 3,505,000 – 3,675,000 VND

Determining the suitable audience for the TOEIC and IELTS exams

Whether students should learn TOEIC or IELTS depends greatly on their study goals and future career orientation. Each English certificate is designed for different audience groups, so determining the right need from the start will help learners save time and optimise revision effectiveness.

Who should prepare for IELTS

IELTS is suitable for students who are planning to study abroad or continue to Master’s or Doctoral level at international schools. In addition, those who work in the academic, research field or professions that frequently have to write reports, present and exchange expertise in English should prioritise preparing for IELTS.

IELTS phù hợp với sinh viên định hướng du học

IELTS is suitable for students oriented towards studying abroad and comprehensively developing academic English

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Who should prepare for TOEIC

TOEIC is suitable for students and workers who need to prove their English proficiency in an enterprise and office environment. In addition, TOEIC is a suitable choice for those who want to focus on improving Listening and Reading skills, serving communication and handling work in the commerce and business field.

TOEIC phù hợp với sinh viên và người đi làm định hướng tiếng Anh giao tiếp

TOEIC is suitable for students and workers oriented towards communicative English in an enterprise environment

Why should you own TOEIC or IELTS?

Depending on personal goals, each certificate will open up different opportunities and help improve competitiveness in the modern study and labour environment.

Benefits when choosing TOEIC

TOEIC is a suitable choice for students and workers aiming at an enterprise environment, especially companies with an international element.

Expanding career opportunities: Many enterprises use TOEIC as a criterion for evaluating English-use ability when recruiting
Improving office communication skills: The exam content focuses on listening and reading in a work context, helping candidates confidently handle real situations
Increasing advancement opportunities: A high TOEIC score is usually seen as an advantage when considering salary increases, bonuses or position promotions

Chứng chỉ toeic và ielts mở rộng cơ hội học tập

The certificate expands study and job opportunities for students and workers

Benefits when choosing IELTS

IELTS is suitable for those oriented towards studying and working in an academic or international environment.

Opening up global study opportunities: IELTS is a necessary condition to study abroad, apply for scholarships or participate in international exchange programmes
Comprehensively developing 4 English skills: Helps learners improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing ability evenly in an academic context
In-depth career support: Creates a solid foundation for research, teaching fields or work requiring high academic English

Advice for HUFLIT students when choosing a certificate

Choosing the suitable English certificate directly affects the study process and career orientation of HUFLIT students. To make the right decision, you can consider the following suggestions:

Clearly determine your personal goals: If you plan to study abroad, do postgraduate study or pursue an academic environment, IELTS will be more suitable. Conversely, if the goal is internship, job application or development in an enterprise, TOEIC is usually the practical choice.
Refer to orientation from the HUFLIT faculty and lecturers: Lecturers at HUFLIT have much experience in advising on the study path and English certificate suitable for each training discipline.
Correctly evaluate your current English proficiency: Students should objectively acknowledge their level to choose the suitable certificate, avoiding unnecessary pressure when choosing an exam beyond their ability.
Build a clear exam-preparation plan: HUFLIT students can make use of internal courses, the school’s support programmes or reputable external exam-preparation centres.
Prioritise a certificate with long-term value: You should choose a certificate that is widely recognised, suitable to your future study, career or study-abroad plan to optimise cost and effort.
Combine certificate study with real experience: HUFLIT students should proactively participate in English clubs, extracurricular activities, internships or international communication environments to improve their English-use ability in reality.

Chọn đúng chứng chỉ giúp sinh viên HUFLIT học hiệu quả và đúng định hướng

Choosing the right certificate helps HUFLIT students study effectively and in the right direction

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Frequently asked questions from students about

Below are the common questions with concise, on-point answers for your easy reference.

Should students learn TOEIC or IELTS first?

If students are just starting, need to consolidate their foundation and serve job-application and internship goals, TOEIC is the reasonable choice to learn first. Conversely, if you already have a fairly good English foundation and are oriented towards studying abroad or academics, you can focus on IELTS from the start.

Which certificate is easier, TOEIC or IELTS?

TOEIC is usually assessed as more accessible because it mainly focuses on Listening – Reading and content tied to the work environment. IELTS requires all 4 skills comprehensively, especially with academic Speaking and Writing, so the difficulty and pressure are higher, especially for students not yet used to English thinking.

What are the cost and preparation time for the TOEIC/IELTS exam?

The TOEIC exam fee in Vietnam ranges from about 1.3 – 1.5 million VND for 2 skills and more than 3.5 million VND for 4 skills. IELTS has a fee of about 4.6 million VND. TOEIC preparation time is usually from 2 – 4 months, while IELTS needs about 4 – 6 months or longer depending on the target score and initial level.

Which certificate should HUFLIT final-year students focus on?

If you prioritise graduating early, applying for jobs and meeting enterprise requirements, TOEIC is the suitable choice. If you plan to study further, study abroad or work in an in-depth international environment, IELTS will bring a more long-term advantage.

Whether students should learn TOEIC or IELTS needs to be based on personal goals and long-term orientation. TOEIC is suitable for job needs in an enterprise environment, while IELTS is suitable for study and academic development. Choosing the right certificate will help students save time, cost and effectively utilise their English.

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