IELTS One Skill Retake vs TOEFL Retake — Which Is Better?
If you scored well on three sections of an English proficiency test but missed your target on one, IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) and TOEFL's MyBest Scores both let you fix one weak section without redoing the whole test — but they work very differently.
Mechanism
IELTS OSR: You physically retake one section within 60 days and receive a new Test Report Form combining your retake score with your three original scores. TOEFL MyBest: You retake the entire TOEFL, and ETS automatically combines your highest section scores from all your TOEFL attempts in the past 2 years onto one MyBest report.
Cost
IELTS OSR: US$200–US$255 (one section). TOEFL retake (required for MyBest): US$185–US$300 (full test). OSR is typically US$30–US$50 cheaper if you only need one section.
Time Commitment
IELTS OSR: 30–60 minutes for the retake section, plus travel. TOEFL MyBest: full 2-hour TOEFL retake. OSR wins on time efficiency.
Score Acceptance
TOEFL MyBest is universally accepted by ETS-recognising universities. IELTS OSR is accepted by most major universities and immigration bodies (see our acceptance guide), but coverage is still expanding.
Which Should You Choose?
If you took a computer-delivered IELTS and are within 60 days, OSR is faster and cheaper. If you took TOEFL or are past the IELTS 60-day window, take a full TOEFL retake and rely on MyBest. Confirm your target university accepts the option you choose.
Try the calculator
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