Usually by destination: IELTS for the UK and the Netherlands, TOEFL for the US and Canada, though most universities accept both. IELTS Speaking is a live interview with an examiner; TOEFL is fully computer-based with recorded speaking. Since January 2026 TOEFL is shorter and adaptive. Check the target universities' lists first, then choose the format the student performs better in.

How long does a result stay valid?

IELTS recommends that a result counts for two years at most, and universities follow that. TOEFL and Duolingo results are also treated as valid for two years. A Cambridge C1 Advanced certificate has no expiry date, which is one reason to consider it for students with time.

What about the Duolingo English Test?

It is cheap, about an hour, and taken at home, and it is accepted at Warwick and by many US schools and universities. It is not accepted everywhere: King's College London does not list it and VU Amsterdam states it is not accepted. Use it only when every target university lists it.

Is IELTS for UKVI needed?

Not for boarding school: the Child Student visa has no English test. Not for most degree courses either, because the university assesses English itself. It matters for courses below degree level, such as some foundation years, and when a university asks for it. The UK is also procuring a new Home Office English test, with rollout discussed for 2027 or 2028; university admissions are unaffected.

My child is 15. Which test?

IELTS is not recommended under 16. For a certificate at that age, Cambridge B2 First for Schools fits, and some North American schools accept TOEFL Junior for younger applicants. If the goal is a university application in two or three years, there is no rush: start IELTS or TOEFL preparation at 16 or 17 so the result is still valid when the application is assessed.

IELTS and TOEFL

IELTS and TOEFL preparation for ages 16 to 19

In short: We prepare students aged 16 to 19 for IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT, the two tests universities in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the US and Canada ask for when a school grade does not count: a diagnostic first, then the four skills, test technique and timed mocks, 1-to-1 online from £52.50 an hour. Before you book a test, we check whether your child needs one at all.

The first question is not which test but whether a test is needed. Many universities accept a school grade instead: Warwick, King's College London and Manchester publish Abitur thresholds, VU Amsterdam accepts the Abitur with English as an exam subject, and IB English A or B at set grades counts at most of them. LSE does not list the Abitur and wants IELTS 7.0 in every component. Twenty minutes with the course pages can save a €300 test and two months of preparation.

Where a test is needed, it is almost always IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT. IELTS reports bands from 0 to 9 and is the usual choice for the UK and the Netherlands. TOEFL changed in January 2026: Reading and Listening are now adaptive, results arrive within 72 hours, and the headline score runs from 1 to 6, with the old 0 to 120 score shown alongside during a transition. Requirements written for the old scale need translating before you set a target.

Tutoring works when it is specific. A diagnostic with real test sections shows which skill is short and by how much; lessons then go to that skill, with timed homework and written feedback on every piece of writing. Nobody can promise a band in a fixed number of hours, and IELTS publishes no such figure, so the plan is set after the diagnostic, not before.

16 to 19
Ages: 1:1
1-to-1 online, 60-minute lessons: from £52.50
per hour: 17 October 2026
Facts checked

Who this is for

Abitur, Matura and IB students applying to English-taught degrees in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany or Switzerland whose school grade does not meet the waiver, or whose university does not offer one.
Students aiming at courses with high component minimums, such as IELTS 7.0 in every skill, where one weak skill decides the offer.
Students applying to US or Canadian universities and boarding schools, where TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo is required alongside SSAT or ISEE.
Students who need one skill fixed before an IELTS One Skill Retake or a TOEFL re-sit.
Students aged 16 and over. IELTS is not recommended under 16; younger students usually take Cambridge B2 First for Schools or TOEFL Junior instead.

What the course covers

Lessons follow the test the student will sit and the skills the diagnostic puts at the top.

Listening

Question types, prediction from the paper, note-taking at speed, and the accents and lecture formats each test uses.

Reading

Academic texts under time: skimming for structure, locating answers, and the question types that cost most marks, such as matching headings and True/False/Not Given.

Writing

IELTS Task 1 and Task 2 and the TOEFL writing tasks, including the task types introduced in 2026, written to the public band descriptors and marked with feedback the student can act on.

Speaking

The IELTS interview rehearsed live with the tutor as examiner; TOEFL's recorded responses practised against the clock with playback.

Test choice and target scores

Which test the target universities accept, what score each course asks for on the current scale, and which test suits the student's profile.

Mocks and booking

A full timed mock from official material, a score estimate against the public descriptors, and help choosing the test date and centre.

IELTS, TOEFL and the alternatives at a glance

IELTS Academic	Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking; bands 0 to 9 in half steps; about 2 hours 45 minutes; paper or computer by centre. IELTS recommends results count for a maximum of two years. Test centres say it is not recommended under 16.
TOEFL iBT, from 21 January 2026	Reading and Listening are adaptive; the headline score is 1 to 6, with a comparable 0 to 120 score shown during a transition period; results within 72 hours. ETS states acceptance by over 13,000 institutions.
Fees	IELTS from €286 at British Council Berlin (IELTS for UKVI €308), €305 at The Cambridge Institute Vienna, CHF 450 at British Council / Swiss Exams Geneva. TOEFL about US$280 in Germany according to secondary sources; ETS lists fees by country.
IELTS thresholds, examples	Warwick 6.0 to 7.0 by course; King's College London 6.5 to 7.5 by course, with minimums per skill; LSE 7.0 in every component; VU Amsterdam 6.5.
TOEFL thresholds on the new scale	Warwick 4.5 to 5.0 by course; VU Amsterdam 4.5. Many universities still publish the old 0 to 120 figure; ETS provides the comparison.
Duolingo English Test	About one hour online at home, scored 10 to 160. Accepted by Warwick (110 to 130 by course) and by US schools such as Andover and Hotchkiss; not listed by King's College London; VU Amsterdam states it is not accepted.
PTE Academic	A two-hour test at a centre, scored 10 to 90, accepted by over 4,000 universities per Pearson; it cannot be taken at home.
US boarding schools	Andover: most admitted international students score at or above TOEFL 100, IELTS 7.5 or Duolingo 135, and all sit SSAT, ISEE or similar. Hotchkiss requires TOEFL, Duolingo or IELTS plus SSAT or ISEE. Midland: TOEFL 90 or Duolingo 125.
UK visas	The Child Student visa for boarding school has no English test requirement. For a Student visa at degree level the university assesses English itself; a secure test such as IELTS for UKVI is needed only below degree level or when the university asks for it.

Formats and fees from the test providers' and centres' pages; thresholds from each university's own requirements page. Universities change thresholds every cycle, so confirm on the course page before booking.

Do you need a test at all?

Check the university's page for your school qualification first. Abitur English at 11 or 12 (advanced level) replaces IELTS at Warwick, King's and Manchester; VU Amsterdam accepts the Abitur with English as an exam subject; IB English A or B at set grades counts at most UK universities. Our guide walks through the checks university by university.

TOEFL scores changed in January 2026

A requirement written as TOEFL 90 or 100 refers to the old 0 to 120 scale. New results carry a 1 to 6 headline score with the comparable old score alongside for a transition period. Translate the requirement before setting a target, and tell the university which scale your result uses.

How it works

1
Diagnostic with real sections
Timed sections from an official practice test in the first lesson, scored against the public descriptors, so you know each skill's band before anything is booked.
2
Test and target
With the diagnostic and the target courses' requirements, we settle the test, the score to aim for and the number of hours that is realistic.
3
Lessons on the short skill
Weekly lessons on the one or two skills that are short, timed homework between them, written feedback on every essay.
4
Mock, then the test
A full mock in test conditions two to three weeks out, a last review of timing, and the booking at a centre or at home for TOEFL.

How many hours?

A student already at the required level needs about 10 hours of test technique in the month before the test. A student a band or half a band short in one skill needs a term, about 20 hours, concentrated on that skill. Nobody can promise a band in a set number of hours; IELTS publishes no such figure and we do not invent one.

5 hours

£330

£66 per hour

One skill only, for example Writing before an IELTS One Skill Retake or a TOEFL re-sit.

10 hours

£650

£65 per hour

Test technique across all four skills in the month before the test, for a student already at the required level.

20 hours

£1,250

£62.50 per hour

A term of work when one skill is a band or half a band short, concentrated on that skill.

Not sure yet? Start with the 3-hour Taster for £210: the level check plus two full lessons.

Test fees are paid to the test centre, not to us.

Get matched See all bundles

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need IELTS with the IB, Abitur or Matura?: Often not. Warwick, King's College London and Manchester accept Abitur English at 11 or 12 at advanced level instead of IELTS; VU Amsterdam accepts the Abitur when English was an exam subject; IB English A or B at set grades counts at Warwick, King's and LSE. LSE does not list the Abitur, and students who need a visa for a course below degree level may still need a secure test. Our guide covers the checks.
IELTS or TOEFL?: Usually by destination: IELTS for the UK and the Netherlands, TOEFL for the US and Canada, though most universities accept both. IELTS Speaking is a live interview with an examiner; TOEFL is fully computer-based with recorded speaking. Since January 2026 TOEFL is shorter and adaptive. Check the target universities' lists first, then choose the format the student performs better in.
How long does a result stay valid?: IELTS recommends that a result counts for two years at most, and universities follow that. TOEFL and Duolingo results are also treated as valid for two years. A Cambridge C1 Advanced certificate has no expiry date, which is one reason to consider it for students with time.
What about the Duolingo English Test?: It is cheap, about an hour, and taken at home, and it is accepted at Warwick and by many US schools and universities. It is not accepted everywhere: King's College London does not list it and VU Amsterdam states it is not accepted. Use it only when every target university lists it.
Is IELTS for UKVI needed?: Not for boarding school: the Child Student visa has no English test. Not for most degree courses either, because the university assesses English itself. It matters for courses below degree level, such as some foundation years, and when a university asks for it. The UK is also procuring a new Home Office English test, with rollout discussed for 2027 or 2028; university admissions are unaffected.
My child is 15. Which test?: IELTS is not recommended under 16. For a certificate at that age, Cambridge B2 First for Schools fits, and some North American schools accept TOEFL Junior for younger applicants. If the goal is a university application in two or three years, there is no rush: start IELTS or TOEFL preparation at 16 or 17 so the result is still valid when the application is assessed.

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