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Eight exam profiles · checked 26 September 2026

Compare eight English exams side by side

One table for delivery mode, approximate test time, distinctive tasks and how each provider reports a result — a quick reference before you check eligibility or read the task-by-task format guide.

Compare eight English exam profiles

This table separates delivery conditions, task demands and score reporting. Timings are approximate because some official sections use ranges or differ by delivery mode. Follow an exam's name to its ScoreFluent guide for more detail.

Eight exam profiles · formats checked 26 September 2026
ExamDeliveryApproximate test timeDistinctive tasksHow results are reported
PTE AcademicComputer; recorded speakingAbout 2 hr; official sections use time rangesRapid responses, repetition, summaries, visual description10–90 overall and four skill scores; task-specific traits
TOEFL iBT (2026)Computer; recorded speaking; adaptive Reading and ListeningAbout 2 hr including directionsDaily-life and academic comprehension, sentence building, email, repetition, interviewFour 1–6 section bands and overall mean
LanguageCert AcademicComputer; live one-to-one speakingAbout 154 minRole play, read aloud, visual presentation, academic writingFour 0–100 skill scores and equally weighted overall
CELPIP-GeneralComputer; recorded speakingUnder 3 hrEveryday communication, email, survey response, scenario speakingFour component levels from 1–12 and overall average
Cambridge C1 AdvancedPaper or digital; usually paired speakingAbout 3 hr 55 minDense reading and language use, two extended texts, peer collaborationCambridge English Scale skill scores and overall
IELTS AcademicComputer; live examiner speaking; local delivery options varyAbout 2 hr 45 minLong academic texts, visual-information writing, essay, interviewFour 0–9 skill bands and overall band
IELTS General TrainingComputer; live examiner speaking; local delivery options varyAbout 2 hr 45 minPractical and workplace reading, letter, essay, interviewFour 0–9 skill bands and overall band
Michigan English Test (MET)Computer; recorded speaking155 minGrammar, linked texts, progressive writing, increasingly complex speakingFour 0–80 section scores and overall average

Every profile is scored on its own scale, and none of them converts directly into another. PTE Academic reports 10–90 overall and by skill. TOEFL iBT reports four 1–6 section bands, in half-band increments, following its 2026 rescale. LanguageCert Academic reports 0–100 aligned to CEFR. Cambridge C1 Advanced reports on the Cambridge English Scale, 142–210. IELTS reports bands 0–9. CELPIP-General reports levels 1–12 per skill. The Michigan English Test (MET) reports 0–80 per section. A lower-looking number on one exam does not mean an easier result on another — check whether your receiving organisation publishes its own conversion before comparing scores yourself.

Total test time also varies more than an "about two hours" headline suggests. Longest to shortest by each publisher's own approximate figures: Cambridge C1 Advanced (about 235 minutes), CELPIP-General (up to 179 minutes), IELTS Academic and General Training (161–174 minutes, plus 10 minutes for answer transfer on paper), the Michigan English Test (155 minutes), LanguageCert Academic (about 154 minutes), PTE Academic (130–153 minutes) and TOEFL iBT (about 90 minutes). The chart below shows the same figures as ranges, since several publishers quote a range rather than a fixed length.

None of this ranks the eight by quality. A shorter test is not lighter preparation, and a familiar-looking scale is not a guarantee of easier marking. Use this table to shortlist the formats you are actually eligible for, then read the formats guide for what each one asks you to do in practice, and the validity guide for how long a result lasts and whether you can retake a single skill.

Head-to-head guides

Weighing two specific exams against each other? These go deeper on the pair that matters to you.

How long is each test?

Approximate total test time, longest first; some official sections use ranges rather than a fixed length.

  1. Cambridge C1 Advanced235 min
  2. CELPIP-General157–179 min — under 3 h
  3. IELTS Academic161–174 min — +10 min answer transfer on paper
  4. IELTS General Training161–174 min — +10 min answer transfer on paper
  5. Michigan English Test (MET)155 min
  6. LanguageCert Academic154 min
  7. PTE Academic130–153 min — Pearson: about 2 h
  8. TOEFL iBT (2026)90 min — ETS: about 2 h incl. check-in

Frequently asked questions

Which English test is shortest?

TOEFL iBT is shortest at about 90 minutes including check-in, a fixed length rather than a range, per ETS’s own test-content page. PTE Academic runs 130–153 minutes and LanguageCert Academic about 154 minutes.

Which English test is longest?

Cambridge C1 Advanced is longest at about 3 hours 55 minutes (235 minutes), reflecting its extended Reading and Use of English paper and its paired speaking test.

Do all eight profiles use the same score scale?

No. Each publisher sets its own scale and none converts directly into another — see how to read the scale column above. Check whether the organisation receiving your score publishes an accepted conversion before comparing scores across exams yourself.

Sources

Format and duration figures are checked against current publisher pages on 26 September 2026. The full source list, and the practical-differences facts checked separately, are on the validity and retakes page →.

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