International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP Education Australia. Candidates may choose either the Academic Module or the General Training Module:

• The Academic Module is intended for those who wish to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education.
• The General Training Module is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, by an increasing number of academic institutions in the USA, and by various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for migration to Canada.

The Test Of English as a Foreign Language (or TOEFL, pronounced "toe-full", or sometimes just "toffle") evaluates the potential success of an individual to use and understand Standard American English at a college level.  It is required for non-native applicants at many English-speaking colleges and universities.  A TOEFL score is valid for 2 years, and then is deleted from the official database.

The TOEFL is administered worldwide by Educational Testing Service (ETS).  The test was first administered in 1964 and has since been taken by nearly 20 million students.

This is one of a series of articles about the differences between American English and British English, which, for the purposes of these articles, are defined as follows:

• American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States.
• British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom and the rest of the British Isles. It includes all English dialects used within the British Isles.

English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to southeastern Great Britain in the 5th century AD and earlier by Germanic settlers and Germanic auxiliary troops from various parts of northwest Germany (Saxons, Angles) as well as Jutland (Jutes).

The extent of Germanic immigration to Britain during Roman supremacy there is unknown, but substantial, as Germanic auxiliary troops were continually recruited outside and settled within the borders of the Empire, Britain being no exception to this rule. Thus, the Germanic roots of English in Britain may go back to the 2nd Century A.D. or even earlier.