IELTS stands for ‘International English Language Testing System’, is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia, and was established in 1989.
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and Canada.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (or TOEFL, pronounced “toe-full”) evaluates the potential success of an individual to use and understand academic English at a college level. It is required for non-native applicants at many English-speaking colleges and universities. Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, businesses, or scholarship programmes may require this test. A TOEFL score is valid for two years and then is deleted from the official database. Colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent TOEFL score.
They may sound very similar but the tests themselves are very different. I have, personally, found IELTS to be a more
valid test than TOEFL but if you are not sure which exam to sit, ask the University or institution which they prefer.
The tests are different, and the test taker needs to give some thought to his/her educational and future career goals; when asking the institution which they prefer, also ask why they prefer that particular test.