IvanM

Is there a requirement for Geordies and Jocks to take the oral exam as I am fecked if I can ever understand them?

Dorothy

Not every migrant comes in on a skilled visa, either. There are many other subclasses, such as humanitarian, spouse, medical, etc.

pumpkin blossom

Quick fire questions??? There are no quick fire questions. I have indeed done the test, and got 9 for speaking. They asked me questions I didn't have an answer for like 'describe your favourite sport' to which I said 'I don't like sport at all so couldn't tell you a thing about any', so they found me another question. The examiner (I was the last of the day) and I had a chat after and he said that many people get hung up on trying to think of an answer so use up their time without saying much, rather than doing what I did and just woffle on about anything.

The IELTS was definatly harder than I expect it to be, but I still scored 9 over all (written also being the lowest at 8).

pigwhocouldfly

I don't disagree with you pumpkin blossom, but different examiners use different techniques, I know that my OH isn't keen on interviews and well as many other people and that is how it seemed to her on the day.

It was explained to her after the test that all the examiner wants to do is get a feel for your spoken English, and that is why they bombard you with questions, she also went on to say don't try to think to much about your answers.
Anyway slightly off topic as she got an 8.5 in speaking anyway.

tartantopgun

Unfortunately, not everybody has an aptitude for written English. Just because you are a native speaker, it does not make you an expert in written and spoken language skills. It hardly makes the IELTS system a sham. Or maybe you expect an automatic concession.

The exam is there for a reason and has, and will continue to set the benchmark for an acceptable grasp of the English language. If you do not get the correct grades, try harder.

pigwhocouldfly

Like I have already explained moneypenny, we have spoken to people in the medical profession who have passed their IELTS who still find it difficult to communicate in English, that being speaking or writing. So obviously something is wrong somewhere in my opinion.

I have no doubt whatsoever that people who do not have English as their first language should do the test, but people (let me rephrase that) Academic people who have spent 3+ years at an ENGLISH speaking university, who have written thousands of words in dissertations, which may I add IS also marked on grammar, the same people who have spent countless years in their profession using the English language to communicate on a daily basis, should not be required to pass an IELTS exam, and then possibly fail a section of the exam on an IELTS technicality, I believe this is just plain wrong.

Australian's need IELTS to work in the UK, we need it to work in Australia, and that goes for American's and Canadian's too, so if it is a mutually recognised requirement why aren't we except???

pigwhocouldfly

Tartantopgun, I believe my OH does have a very good aptitude for written English, otherwise she would not possess a Bsc(Hons) degree in nursing, taught in an English university.

And to answer the other part of your question, yes I do believe that these people warrant a concession from the IELTS, as I feel it is a little unfair how firstly the overall IELTS score of my OH which was an 8.0 is not even considered, as the scores need to be at least a 7.0 in all sections of the test to register as a nurse in Oz, so if somebody did get a 7.0 in all parts of the test then the overall score will still be a 7.0 which would grant you registration! So to clarify you could
register with a 7.0 overall score but obviously not an 8.0 overall, go figure I really do think the overall score of the IELTS should come into play when we are talking about nursing registration purposes.

moneypenny20

So let me get this right, because you believe your education and talents have taught you enough about the language, and because you (your wife) then failed the test required to check that ability, that the test is wrong? Interesting theory.

I drove for about 20+ years in the UK. I then moved here and had to do a theory test. I failed it. Does that mean the test is wrong and that I obviously shouldn't have had to do the test? Err, no sorry. It meant that I had to pull my finger out, practice a bit harder and retake the test until I passed.

No one has a right to something just because they think they do.

Also, whilst I dislike the grammar police pointing out errors in posts, considering the topic, I have to say that were I an IELTS tester, and you wrote the quoted text as your test, I'd have failed you, but maybe I'm a sham as well.

Dorothy

There should be no apostrophe in Australians Americans or Canadians. They are plurals, not possessive nor contractions, so therefore no apostrophe.

tartantopgun

You seem to have answered that yourself. You believe your wife to have a more than acceptable level of aptitude. Unfortunately, the IELTS examiner who is regulated and trained in the specific task of judging English language abilities, does not. A BSC (Hons) in written English for your obviously well educated wife would be a different story though.

pigwhocouldfly

No, you should have to do the theory test as you would be driving in a different country moneypenny, ie there are totally different rules on the roads and different signage etc. But you drive there so you should know!

But I am talking about a language that is recognised in every English speaking country, so your argument does not stack up.

pigwhocouldfly

That is not what I am saying tartantopgun, I was just pointing out that a degree
in nursing cannot be obtained through not having a good concept of the English language when taught in English.
Also a number of years in the nursing profession in the UK should count for something, after all people's lives are at stake.

Pollyana

I guess, being purely objective about this, that does make it fair, so where's the problem?
If the UK insists on Australian nurses passing IELTS in order to work there, then it really is perfectly fair that UK nurses should have to pass in order to work here. And after all, both countries have large parts of their populations who are not fluent in English.

tartantopgun

The point I am trying to make is calling the system to account for the failure to reach a certain grade is arrogant to say the least. Just because someone has reached an academic level in any given profession does not assure them of the required level of written communication in an IELTS exam.

You wife should have just sucked it up and knuckled down and concentrated on her weak area. Rather than that, you want to bitch and moan about the fact that an English native has to sit a written and verbal literacy test.

moneypenny20

Neither does your wife's writing skills. However I have my driving licence.