在口语部分,托福倾向于学术性话题,注重考察考生的学术观点,例如“Do you think a professor or a classmate is more important for a student to succeed in college?” 而雅思则考察考生对于生活的描述,如“There is a gym that is going to be developed in a nearby town. You are asked to share your opinions on whether this gym should be built or not and give one reason to support your choice.”
在写作部分,托福写作同样为学术化场景,如考生需要阅读一段文字并且听一段说话或授课后完成一篇写作,或者是要求考生阐述对学术性话题的观点,如“Using examples and reasons, discuss whether you agree with the following statement: Colleges should not require the students to live on the campus.” 雅思写作则考察描述生活类的问题,如“Some people feel that they can benefit from keeping pets while others do not. Discuss the benefits and problems of having a pet in your home. Should the government place restrictions on pet ownership?”