New TOEFL vs. IELTS: Why Is the New TOEFL Easier?

Hi everyone, I'm David, head of the SK2 TOEFL New TOEFL Intensive Course.

The TOEFL got a major overhaul starting January 2026: the test is a full hour shorter, and the scoring system has completely changed, from a 120-point scale to a 6-point scale.

Also, unlike the old, academically heavy content, it now includes many everyday topics, making the test more grounded in daily life and less difficult.

In this video, I look at value for effort, how scores are calculated, what each section tests and how hard it is,

and most importantly “score conversion”: for the score a school requires, which test is easier to take?

to analyze the differences between the “2026 new TOEFL” and “IELTS.”

Overall, until IELTS is revised, looking at test content and format,

I think it's easier to get a good score in a short time on the new TOEFL.

Taking myself as an example, on January 21 and February 4 I took the new TOEFL at home and at a test center, respectively,

and both times I got an overall score of 6.0/6.0.

Converted to IELTS, that's 9.0/9.0. But as everyone knows, getting an overall 9.0 on IELTS is extremely hard,

so by converting between tests, you can get a higher converted score with less effort.

Next, on January 21 my raw average across the four sections was actually 5.75, but after rounding up and adjustment it became a perfect 6.0;

likewise on February 4, my four-section average was 5.875, and after adjustment it also became a perfect 6.0.

This tells us that the new TOEFL's scoring system can potentially push your final score one level higher than it would otherwise be.

Take a look at the analysis in this video, and if you have any questions comparing different tests, feel free to bring them up for discussion~

https://youtu.be/jv8r0efGmPE