IELTS complaints

I vaguely remember someone here was working for IELTS (like the IBP or the British Council or what’s-his-face) or something and I hope they read this.

I took the exam yesterday, for the 2nd time (because these rip-offs want everyone to take their test every other year), in the morning, and I was not pleased with some of the practices, such as:

  1. Explain to me why in the fuck are water bottles with words written or patterns designed on them not allowed. Like you actually believe people can cheat by having a few meaningless characters or drawings on their water fucking bottles? Seriously?

  2. Explain to me why in the fuck are examinees required to check in again if they go to pee. I understand being metal monitored again after going to the toilet, but checking in again? Like you suspect people would switch their faces during their piss? Seriously?

  3. Explain to me how in the fuck did the price go up from like 5500 to 7000 in like 3 years. For a test result that’s only valid for 2 or 3 fucking years, don’t you find that a little fucking unreasonable? Shouldn’t there be a rule for those who’ve achieved overall band score >8 to keep their test result for like 10 years? Or better, FOREVER. It’s not like anyone’s gonna forget how to speak English.

  4. Or just explain to me why every IELTS person is so fucking uptight. Compare to DELF you guys are like one of those neurotic caricatures from Woody Allen movies.

/rant over

I hope you got a good score so that you don’t need to pay this extortion fee again.

Guy

Thanks :grinning:

Points 1-3 are related to admin. I doubt any of those guys are on here. Point 4 is because all the tests are recorded and could be checked. The French may play a little more fast and loose.

shit… I wanted to rent too…

It’s possible, but yeah it takes more than two years for an adult.

If a non-native speaker possibly doesn’t read or listen for several years then it’s likely that their productive skills will decline. There is no way for an examiner to know if this is the case other than to get them to produce.

For those who score >8 it is highly unlikely that this would happen. >8 is usually pretty fluent.

But it’s not necessarily still band 8+. Two years after the last test? Ten years after the last test? How does the examiner know other than running the test? I used to be able to do thirty chin ups.

A certain cold country that gives its public servants English & French tests has five levels: fail, A, B, C, and “exempt from further testing”. But I suppose typically they would keep using both languages at work over the years, so that would keep the neurons active.

All these exam boards are under pressure from governments for immigration purposes. They’re under considerably less pressure from tertiary educational organizations.

Creating a standardized test for speaking is a challenge. I think IELTS makes a pretty good hash of it, but, yeah, I can understand people’s frustrations.

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In Canada the idea is most people in the federal government should be bilingual, but most anglophones didn’t pay much attention during French class in school. Immigration isn’t really the issue.

Apologies, misread your comment.