“USA SAYS YES TO IELTS”
As English becomes the common language of opportunity, a skill that opens doors for the many rather than the few, so the demand for a universal test of English grows. The sheer volume of people hoping to use their English skills to study and work with the best institutions and companies means the world’s universities, employers, and migration authorities need a test that provides reliable proof of ability - wherever they’ve come from and wherever they plan to go.
One of the clearest indicators of this trend is the rise of IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Run by an international partnership between British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, IELTS has experienced vast growth since it was first offered in 1989, with more than 700,000 tests being taken in 120 countries over the last year. Most significantly, IELTS has established itself in the US, building a reputation for itself as the world’s best test of English as an international language.
Traditionally, to apply to a US university you had to take a US English language test. The rapid rise of IELTS, an international English language proficiency test, has transformed this situation and led to more opportunities in the US for students from all over the world.
Institutions such as Brown University, for example, have for the first time decided to consider IELTS scores in the same way as TOEFL. The director of admissions has been quoted as seeing this as helping the many international applicants who apply both to Brown and Australian universities, meaning they only need to take the one test.
So what’s changed? Beryl E. Meiron of IELTS International, which manages IELTS in the US, argues that US higher educational institutions have become more aware of the valid and reliable option of IELTS which is available to international students around the globe.
“We’ve gone past the tipping point,” said Beryl Meiron. “With so many top universities using IELTS, administrators and faculty are becoming more familiar with the exam scores and their usefulness in evaluating applicants to US schools, others have had to follow. All across the country, from the east coast to the west, more institutions have moved to recognizing IELTS for international student applicants who are required to demonstrate their academic English language proficiency for admissions purposes. The IELTS website now lists hundreds of US institutions that recognize IELTS including four-year undergraduate institutions, graduate and professional institutions, two-year and community colleges, as well as specialized, certificate, and diploma programs. Just this year we’ve had new recognitions from 122 more US institutions. Some of the premier institutions, like Duke University Graduate School, are making IELTS their preferred language proficiency test. The old idea that TOEFL is the test for the US and IELTS for the UK, Australia and New Zealand, just doesn’t apply anymore.”
Professional bodies representing major US employers have also seen the potential of IELTS for overseas recruitment, including the US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS); International Commission on Healthcare Professionals (ICHP); American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and many individual state boards of nursing. Increasing numbers of test takers in the US itself has meant the country has entered the top 10 of IELTS markets for the first time.
A key factor for US institutions has been the face-to-face Speaking module in IELTS. Institutions are reassured by the authentic academic tasks, and comprehensive assessment of all four language skills including the live, face-to-face speaking performed by a trained, certified examiner. Deans and directors of admissions have also been attracted by the rigorous security processes, reliability of scores and worldwide accessibility.
For people aiming to apply for either study or work in the US, IELTS is considered to offer more in the way of service and quality. IELTS is available in over 300 locations in 120 countries worldwide, each providing up to 48 test dates every year. Test takers are able to repeat the exam at the next available date. Beyond the US, there are thousands of education institutions and professional bodies in the English-speaking world, in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, which accept IELTS – along with the immigration authorities in those countries. IELTS also conforms to the highest international standards for language assessment. The test covers all four skills – Reading, Writing and Listening, as well as a face-to-face Speaking test – leading to the reputation for IELTS as providing the most reliable test scores for candidates.
More information on IELTS is available from www.ielts.org
For more information, please contact:
British Council
Examination Sevices Department
0212 355 56 57
www.britishcouncil.org.tr
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