score-concordance
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- PaperIELTS Partnership Research Reports
Aligning scores of language proficiency tests: A score concordance study between IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT
This study establishes score concordance between IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT, enabling score comparison across the two tests. The findings provide a conversion table for institutions and test takers.
- PaperLanguage Testing25 Jun 2026
Reflections on the Practical Implementation of Knoch and Fan’s (2024) Good Practice Principles for Score Concordance Studies
Spiros Papageorgiou, Tony Clark
This viewpoint reflects on Knoch and Fan's (2024) good practice principles for score concordance studies, drawing on a large-scale study comparing IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT scores. The authors emphasize methodological rigor, transparency, and construct comparability while noting limitations of concordance tables for admissions decisions, and recommend fair score requirements regardless of test chosen.
Original abstract
When different tests are used for the same purpose, score requirements should be comparable so that examinees cannot obtain an unfair advantage simply because of the test they chose. Drawing on our experience conducting a large-scale concordance study to allow for an empirical comparison of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT test scores, we review Knoch and Fan’s evaluative framework, explore methodological best practices and challenges, and offer future directions for score concordance research. We emphasize the importance of methodological rigor in collecting test-taker score data, transparency in analyzing such data to build score concordance tables, and a reasonable degree of construct comparability as a prerequisite for conducting a score concordance study, while also highlighting the limitations of concordance tables as standalone tools for admissions decisions. We note that some aspects of Knoch and Fan’s good practice principles are more straightforward to implement in practice than others. The good practice principles could be updated or adjusted after real-world application, which we describe with a view to furthering best practice in concordance research. We conclude this viewpoint with recommendations for decision-making that are based on fair score requirements, irrespective of which test the examinees chose.
- PaperETS Research Report Series1 Apr 2026
Beyond Score Correlations: A Content Comparison of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT® Tests in the Context of a Score Concordance Study
Sara Cushing
Compared the content of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT tests across four skills using published research and sample materials, finding substantial construct overlap in reading and writing but differences in listening and speaking: TOEFL places greater emphasis on academic content, integrated skills, and pragmatic inference, while IELTS includes more general listening contexts and examiner-mediated speaking. The findings support cautious use of score concordance tables between the two tests.
Original abstract
Score concordance tables are widely used by higher education institutions to compare scores from different English language proficiency tests, yet their validity depends on the extent to which the tests measure comparable constructs. This study examines the content comparability of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and TOEFL iBT® tests in the context of a recent co-sponsored score concordance study. Moving beyond score correlations, the analysis compares test content across the four language skills—reading, listening, writing, and speaking—using published research, official test documentation, and publicly available sample materials. The comparison is framed by the validity frameworks adopted by each test provider and focuses on task characteristics, linguistic demands, response formats, and scoring criteria. Results indicate substantial overlap in the constructs assessed by both tests, particularly in reading and writing, where tasks target similar academic language skills and are evaluated using comparable criteria. More pronounced differences emerge in listening and speaking, with TOEFL iBT placing greater emphasis on academic content, integrated skills, and pragmatic inference, while IELTS includes more general listening contexts and examiner-mediated interaction in speaking. Despite these differences, both tests provide multiple opportunities for test takers to engage with extended discourse and demonstrate receptive and productive language abilities. Overall, the findings support the use of score concordance tables between IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT, while emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation and recognition that scores should not be treated as fully interchangeable. Suggested citation: Cushing, S. T. (2026). Beyond score correlations: A content comparison of IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT® tests in the context of a score concordance study (TOEFL Research Report No. RR-107). ETS. https://doi.org/10.64634/qercg225