English test - im British/English lol
Nov 1st 2010, 1:03 pm
#16
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
But they are not making " everyone" take the test. From my limited experience in Toronto , most of the non English speakers seem to have immigrated under the family class rather than skilled worker, hence the point about the entire language profile of the country changing is a valid one.
Nov 1st 2010, 3:13 pm
#17
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
The family class that can be sponsored consists of spouses, minor children and parents. Persons destined to the labour force must all take the language tests.
Nov 1st 2010, 11:02 pm
#18
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
Nov 1st 2010, 11:22 pm
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
I took the English test myself as part of the requirements for a consultant's license. I am also a mother tongue English speaker and I also found it expensive and excessive but it was necessary. This is at least the 3rd time the matter has been raised in this forum in spite of the fact that there is little we can do but bitch about it. There is no use quarreling or whining because to get to Canada as a PR one must comply.
Nov 2nd 2010, 12:06 am
#20
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
Personally I don't have a problem with it, I can even see the need for it but I think it is a valid point that are a large percentage of immigrants manage to bypass it.
Nov 2nd 2010, 12:41 pm
#21
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
I've also noted on some of the other (non-Brit) immigration forums I occasionally troll through, that provincial nominees who apply for PR from outside Canada are being requested by visa offices to take the language tests even though it's not a checklist requirement.
Nov 2nd 2010, 9:39 pm
#22
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
I took the English test myself as part of the requirements for a consultant's license. I am also a mother tongue English speaker and I also found it expensive and excessive but it was necessary. This is at least the 3rd time the matter has been raised in this forum in spite of the fact that there is little we can do but bitch about it. There is no use quarreling or whining because to get to Canada as a PR one must comply.
I agree, I don't think it's really worth whining about. The delay in waiting to take the test was a little annoying for us, since at the time we didn't know how quickly the NOC caps for FSW1 were likely to fill up, but once my wife took the test she found it fine. She was a bit nervous and thought she'd fluffed a few things, but she still came out with a band score of 8.5/9.
The cost of £108 at the time we thought was high, but having since totted up the total cost of getting the visa, and we realise that this is probably only a small portion of the total costs of emmigrating, this is really a very small amount.
I guess they wanted a very fair way for everyone to prove their language skills, and being born in this country and claiming English as your native tongue does not necessarily mean you have a high aptitude for the language. So although the costs could be a bit lower I think the test is fair.
I think the pour souls who applied in 2004 and are still waiting to hear are the people who really have something to moan about!
Wayne.
Nov 23rd 2010, 5:24 am
#23
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
cool so i dont need to take the test because the application was rec before what ever date in june....
does anyone have a link ???? or anything in writing where they say this isnt required -
ive got to send off all my bits soon and dont want them to come back to me - complaining ive missed bits like the test results..
thank you xxxxxxxxx
does anyone have a link ???? or anything in writing where they say this isnt required -
ive got to send off all my bits soon and dont want them to come back to me - complaining ive missed bits like the test results..
thank you xxxxxxxxx
Nov 23rd 2010, 6:01 am
#24
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
The info you have from when you applied (i.e. the document checklist) won't have IELTS on. But it's all over the CIC website, so just do a search for the new rules introduced on 26th June and you'll find info - that way, if they do make a mistake, you can just point out that you applied prior to that date.
Dec 22nd 2010, 2:30 pm
#25
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
I sat my IELTS in Calgary in September; the number of people brandishing British passports, and muttering about what a waste of their Saturday morning it was, was quite funny 
. Quite a few NZers/Australians/Americans there too.
To the original poster: a bit of prep wouldn't go amiss. The Welsh man next to me in line had no idea what was about to follow so I had to tell him. There are some practice materials here. They seem to be very exacting on how the listening and reading answers are written on the answer sheets on those test above. I knew I had missed a couple or three answers at the end of the listening test and so an '8' wasn't a surprise, but I also got an '8' for reading and I was convinced I had scored full marks there, even after checking twice. Not putting down the answer in the form they wanted seems to be the only way I'd not scored full marks.
The writing test was weird; that's the first time i've written an essay with a pencil in 20+ years. It's hard to change large swathes of what you've written in the way you can on a computer. But I suppose that's what they're testing; the ability to compose sentences in your head and transfer them into written form.
On the plus side, the speaking interview lasted barely 10 minutes, and the examiner clearly gave up. I got a '9'.
. Quite a few NZers/Australians/Americans there too. To the original poster: a bit of prep wouldn't go amiss. The Welsh man next to me in line had no idea what was about to follow so I had to tell him. There are some practice materials here. They seem to be very exacting on how the listening and reading answers are written on the answer sheets on those test above. I knew I had missed a couple or three answers at the end of the listening test and so an '8' wasn't a surprise, but I also got an '8' for reading and I was convinced I had scored full marks there, even after checking twice. Not putting down the answer in the form they wanted seems to be the only way I'd not scored full marks.
The writing test was weird; that's the first time i've written an essay with a pencil in 20+ years. It's hard to change large swathes of what you've written in the way you can on a computer. But I suppose that's what they're testing; the ability to compose sentences in your head and transfer them into written form.
On the plus side, the speaking interview lasted barely 10 minutes, and the examiner clearly gave up. I got a '9'.
Dec 22nd 2010, 10:11 pm
#26
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
Possibly why they've become stricter with the IELTS.
But yes it's a bit ridiculous that English speakers have to do it, however with an increasing number of immigrants in the UK it is becoming harder to know who is a true native speaker.
The people at my exam were surprised to see a native speaker as well, however overall I was impressed as the level of English was extremely high among those taking part who I spoke to. It didn't seem like you can really blag the test with a bit of coaching or anything like that.
I do agree that it's a bloody expensive test to do before you even know if you'll get PR.
But yes it's a bit ridiculous that English speakers have to do it, however with an increasing number of immigrants in the UK it is becoming harder to know who is a true native speaker.
The people at my exam were surprised to see a native speaker as well, however overall I was impressed as the level of English was extremely high among those taking part who I spoke to. It didn't seem like you can really blag the test with a bit of coaching or anything like that.
I do agree that it's a bloody expensive test to do before you even know if you'll get PR.
I think this test is a really good idea, but I agree with Jimmy that the expense is annoying. Trying to think if it would work that you took the test at the same time as medicals if you got to that stage, so that you did not undergo the expense if you were not eligible owing to points/work experience/education etc.
But then again this could mean thousands of applicants spending more money than this on their application, only to find at the end that they failed due to English/French not being good enough.
Also without the IELTS a final eligibility check could not be performed since there is no way to prove language claims.
So I think all in all it's necessary and justified, if a bit annoying for English natives who actually spawned the language in the first place!
Wayne.
Dec 22nd 2010, 10:25 pm
#27
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
A friend is a tester. She says that many native English speakers score badly because they have the attitude that they shouldn't have to be tested. Their answers are one word and they refuse to show their understanding of the language because the examiner should know that they are fluent in English.
A friend is a tester. She says that many native English speakers score badly because they have the attitude that they shouldn't have to be tested. Their answers are one word and they refuse to show their understanding of the language because the examiner should know that they are fluent in English.
Take care in the listening and other parts though that if they ask for a certain number of words (3 words etc) that you use that exact number!
But basically don't like over-confidence and arrogance hamper your results!
Wayne.
Dec 23rd 2010, 7:38 am
#28
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
I took the English test myself as part of the requirements for a consultant's license. I am also a mother tongue English speaker and I also found it expensive and excessive but it was necessary. This is at least the 3rd time the matter has been raised in this forum in spite of the fact that there is little we can do but bitch about it. There is no use quarreling or whining because to get to Canada as a PR one must comply.
The Australian system seems better in that passport holders from certain English speaking countries get the points equivalent to basic level automatically so it's only applicants that need the extra points have to sit the test.
I noticed that even Canadian Experience applicants have to do the English test. Seems strange in that if you've managed to work for two years in Canada already your English should be sufficient to do the job.
No point in expecting common sense and logic in the CIC system though - it is what it is.
Dec 23rd 2010, 7:47 am
#29
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
The last I heard PNP even selectees still have to take the IELTS.
Dec 23rd 2010, 8:20 am
#30
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Re: English test - im British/English lol
