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Retaking the IELTS can be ‘scary’ for non-native English speakers. Could this new rule help?
IELTS, an English proficiency test that is often a pre-requisite for international study, migration and work, has introduced a new policy that may enable test-takers to more easily obtain the score they need, while saving money.
Published 2 March 2023 9:08am
Updated 13 March 2023 3:15pm
By Dinita Rishal
Source: SBS
Image: (From left) Jan Seville, Perpetual Andoh and Bhabish Shrestha share their take on IELTS One Skill Retake Policy. (Supplied)
Highlights
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is often a requirement for migration, jobs and study in Australia.
- The test examines four skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking – on a scale of 1 to 9.
- Some applicants can now retake one skill component that didn't pass the required score, rather than sit the whole exam again.
Jan Sevilla recalls taking the IELTS, which examines English proficiency in listening, reading, writing and speaking, back in 2013 as a requirement for permanent residency.
He came to Australia from the Philippines in 2012 as a nursing student.
But having not got the required score of seven out of nine in each skill to become a registered nurse, he had to retake the test.
“I did not meet the score that I needed for writing, and I retook the whole test… it was $330 [per test] back then,” the Melbourne-based resident told SBS Nepali.
But unfortunately, I was so focused on getting the score that I needed for writing, that I ended up not focusing on the other parts of the exam. Then I again failed miserably in one of those.Jan Sevilla
Jan Seville came to Australia in 2012 from the Philippines. Credit: Supplied
With IELTS’s new One Skill Retake (OSR) policy, applicants like Mr Sevilla can retake one skill that didn't achieve the score needed rather than sit the whole exam again.
‘Focus on what’s needed’
English language proficiency tests play an important role in opening employment, study or migration pathways for non-native English speakers in countries like Australia.
One of the most common is the IELTS, which is accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for many visa categories and permanent residency and is also required for some workplaces, educational institutions and accrediting bodies.
According to IDP Education, the Australia-based co-owner of IELTS, more than three million tests are taken worldwide yearly.
In Australia, it currently costs $410 to sit the IELTS.
A representative picture of IELTS test. Source: iStockphoto / Lamaip/Getty Images/iStockphoto
The new One Skill Retake option allows applicants to retake a single skill component for the comparatively lower price of $267.
Before this, if a benchmark was not met, the only option was to retake the whole test, including all four skills.
Kim Dienhoff, the commercial director of IELTS at IDP Education, explained how the new policy works.
“IELTS One Skill Retake is an opportunity for test-takers to retake one part of the test again. They might want to do this if they did not get the score they were aspiring to on the test day,” she told SBS Nepali.
“We also think it helps to improve fairness for test-takers by providing them with the opportunity to retake a single skill if they feel their original performance wasn’t representative of their true language [English language] proficiency levels.”
Kim Dienhoff, the commercial director of IELTS at IDP Education, explained how the new policy works.
“Instead of focusing on all four parts, they can only focus on the part they need the certain score for,” he said.
“I think that may help them to be more focused, and they might even get a higher score instead of worrying about the other three.”
Listen to what international students say about this policy:
How can the IELTS One Skill Retake policy help test-takers?
SBS Nepali
13/03/202311:54
How does the One Skill Retake work?
Formally launched in Melbourne in mid-January 2023, the retake policy is ongoing in Adelaide and Perth and is set to begin in Brisbane and Sydney in March.
Currently, only test-takers who took their first IELTS test on a computer are eligible for the retake, and it should be done within 60 days of the first test.
Ms Dienhoff said the process is straightforward.
“Once the test-taker receives their test report from the first time they took the test, they go online to review their test scores. There is a button above the test score, which they can click on to retake one part of the test again,” she said.
Depending on their score, test takers can choose whether they would like to use their old or new test report for the skill they retook.
‘No guarantee’
Perpetual Andoh is currently preparing for her IELTS test for professional registration and immigration purposes.
The Brisbane-based social worker has “mixed feelings” about the One Skill Retake policy.
“The new policy looks good, but there is no guarantee that you will pass even the second time as well. You try your best, but there is a continuous fear and anxiety of whether you are going to pass or not,” said Ms Andoh, who moved to Australia from Ghana in 2014.
Our work and residency – everything depends on this [English language test]. So, it is pretty scary. And taking tests consecutively is also a lot of money.Perpetual Andoh
Perpetual Andoh is currently preparing for her IELTS test. Credit: Supplied
“This can help students for their migration points, skill assessment, and especially people who study teaching and registration to work in that field,” he told SBS Nepali.
“Nowadays, other English proficiency tests like PTE (Pearson Test of English) are dominant in many countries, and we see less people doing IELTS - which is why I think IELTS has brought this new policy.”
Bhabish Shrestha is the National Deputy Coordinator for the International Student Advisory Council of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA). Credit: Supplied
He says this new IELTS policy is a "game-changer" for people who unwillingly lag in their education and migration goals due to the unavailability of test appointments at desired times.
"Currently, international education and migration are booming in Australia. As English tests are in high demand, sometimes people must wait for a few months to book a test," he told SBS Nepali.
Just because of the English language proficiency requirement, they are unable to enrol in educational institutions for a year's first intake and have to wait another six months for the next intake.Bhabish Shrestha, Deputy Coordinator at the Student Advisory Council of the Non-Resident Nepali Association Australia
"So being able to re-take just one skill might mitigate this issue."
For IELTS teacher Ben Gartlacher, it’s essential that prospective test-takers seek legitimate advice.
“Keep studying! That’s pretty much it, and get good advice,” he said.
“There is a lot of information and thousands of voices speaking online, but often a lot of it is misinformed and inaccurate. So, seeking accurate advice is important.”
Ms Dienhoff said IDP Australia is planning to launch the One Skill Retake policy in other countries soon.
Test takers are encouraged to visit the website to understand which visa subclasses accept IELTS One Skill Retake.
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