Language test
Jul 30th 2010, 5:25 pm
#1
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Language test
I know this is very early days to ask this, but has anyone who is a native English speaker applying under the new rules (i.e. since the June changes) actually done their language test yet?
If so, I would like to hear how it went.
If you are booked to take it in September,(OH sits his his next week) we will gladly pass on some practice materials to anyone who wants them
.
If so, I would like to hear how it went.
If you are booked to take it in September,(OH sits his his next week) we will gladly pass on some practice materials to anyone who wants them
.
Jul 30th 2010, 6:05 pm
#2
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Re: Language test
If it's anything like the level of French tested in the TEF I was studying for, then it'll be a walk in the park for a native English speaker.
Jul 30th 2010, 7:32 pm
#3
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Re: Language test
It is an easy test. However, for a native speaker, this is not so much about the language, rather more about the test taking ability. I would recommend studying for it from that perspective. For example, read the questions first, before reading or listening to the section the questions are for.
Ray
Ray
Jul 30th 2010, 7:56 pm
#4
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Re: Language test
Mine is tomorrow! I'll let you know how it goes.
Wish me luck
Wish me luck
Jul 31st 2010, 8:58 am
#5
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Aug 6th 2010, 1:37 pm
#6
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Re: Language test
I know this is very early days to ask this, but has anyone who is a native English speaker applying under the new rules (i.e. since the June changes) actually done their language test yet?
If so, I would like to hear how it went.
If you are booked to take it in September,(OH sits his his next week) we will gladly pass on some practice materials to anyone who wants them.
If so, I would like to hear how it went.
If you are booked to take it in September,(OH sits his his next week) we will gladly pass on some practice materials to anyone who wants them
.We have no idea what the scores will be until the results come through in 2 weeks but we think probably 7.5/8 for the reading and listening and 6+ for the speaking/writing. We don't need the points per say because even with 2 high and 2 moderate (we're hoping for 4 high) we have 76 points, way higher than the 67 minimum. But obviously if for any reason she gets less than 5.5 in anything it looks bad!
She's probably being a bigger critic of herself though, so will let you know once we get the results through.
She did some practice tests online for the reading and listening I think, which helped since they she had an idea of what to expect.
For the speaking she had to talk for 2 minutes about a childhood hobby, she talked about reading books but kinda was struggling to think of things to say
Hope this helps,
Wayne.
Aug 6th 2010, 2:36 pm
#7
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Re: Language test
Hi. My wife took her IELTS test yesterday, we are both naive English. She floundered a bit on the speaking because she gets nervous at tests quite easily, and also had a cross out a few mistakes on her writing since she is mildly dislexic, but she said the reading and listening tests were a breeze.
We have no idea what the scores will be until the results come through in 2 weeks but we think probably 7.5/8 for the reading and listening and 6+ for the speaking/writing. We don't need the points per say because even with 2 high and 2 moderate (we're hoping for 4 high) we have 76 points, way higher than the 67 minimum. But obviously if for any reason she gets less than 5.5 in anything it looks bad!
She's probably being a bigger critic of herself though, so will let you know once we get the results through.
She did some practice tests online for the reading and listening I think, which helped since they she had an idea of what to expect.
For the speaking she had to talk for 2 minutes about a childhood hobby, she talked about reading books but kinda was struggling to think of things to say
Hope this helps,
Wayne.
We have no idea what the scores will be until the results come through in 2 weeks but we think probably 7.5/8 for the reading and listening and 6+ for the speaking/writing. We don't need the points per say because even with 2 high and 2 moderate (we're hoping for 4 high) we have 76 points, way higher than the 67 minimum. But obviously if for any reason she gets less than 5.5 in anything it looks bad!
She's probably being a bigger critic of herself though, so will let you know once we get the results through.
She did some practice tests online for the reading and listening I think, which helped since they she had an idea of what to expect.
For the speaking she had to talk for 2 minutes about a childhood hobby, she talked about reading books but kinda was struggling to think of things to say
Hope this helps,
Wayne.
It certainly made my OH happier that he had tried the practice test before taking the real thing, though - the listening test goes very fast and sometimes the information is crowded together, so while you are recording one answer you might miss the next. Also, they are very mean about the marking - if you write more words for your answer than they stipulate, they will mark it wrong.
e.g. If the answer they state is 'headphones' and the answer you give from the listening scenario you have heard is 'a pair of headphones for the hard of hearing', this will be marked wrong, even though it is clear that you have understood and recorded the answer that you heard correctly, you have just recorded it more fully than they require.
Things like this are to do with exam technique, not your language ability but can have a significant impact on your score, so it is worth running through a practice test.
I have already offered this before, but if anyone wants our practice materials then just PM or email me and you can have them.
Results same time as you, Waggle. We can compare partners
Aug 6th 2010, 2:58 pm
#8
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Re: Language test
hello
I am waggles wife
.
Where did your OH do his test? I went to Cambrigde and had an hour of watching people, who had come to the wrong test venue being sent to different places.
I followed all the test instructions so I am hoping to get good marks back in 13 days
. I am a bit of a selfcritic so hopefully I was harder on myself than the examiners will be.
My top tip for anyone still to do the test is to read the questions and the test instructions carefully.
Waggles wife
I am waggles wife
. Where did your OH do his test? I went to Cambrigde and had an hour of watching people, who had come to the wrong test venue being sent to different places.
I followed all the test instructions so I am hoping to get good marks back in 13 days
. I am a bit of a selfcritic so hopefully I was harder on myself than the examiners will be. My top tip for anyone still to do the test is to read the questions and the test instructions carefully.
Waggles wife
Aug 6th 2010, 3:19 pm
#9
Island life at last
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Re: Language test
hello
I am waggles wife.
Where did your OH do his test? I went to Cambrigde and had an hour of watching people, who had come to the wrong test venue being sent to different places.
I followed all the test instructions so I am hoping to get good marks back in 13 days. I am a bit of a selfcritic so hopefully I was harder on myself than the examiners will be.
My top tip for anyone still to do the test is to read the questions and the test instructions carefully.
Waggles wife
I am waggles wife
. Where did your OH do his test? I went to Cambrigde and had an hour of watching people, who had come to the wrong test venue being sent to different places.
I followed all the test instructions so I am hoping to get good marks back in 13 days
. I am a bit of a selfcritic so hopefully I was harder on myself than the examiners will be. My top tip for anyone still to do the test is to read the questions and the test instructions carefully.
Waggles wife
However, we did have a lovely one night stay in a beautiful cottage B&B nearby and I had a fabulously relaxing day dolphin watching, eating my sandwiches on the coastal path and having an extremely good sticky toffee ice cream in the sunshine at Cardigan Bay while OH slaved over the test.
My top tip is to get the test booked SOON! The dates for the General Test are not as frequent as the Academic one - they don't even run every week and the next date showing at some venues in the UK is October or even November. My prediction is that once new applicants really start getting the message about this test being mandatory, the dates are going to be booking well into next year. Most people at our test (about 30 candidates in total, I'd estimate) clearly had English as their second language, but when you think about the numbers applying for immigration to Canada who are native English speakers and that they will all have to sit this test, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it is going to get very crowded very quickly.
Aug 6th 2010, 3:25 pm
#10
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Re: Language test
Hi helcat12, ok well as soon as we get the results we will post them here and let you know!
Whereabouts did your partner take his test? My wife had to drive down to Cambridge yesterday to take hers.
I think we have to wait 13 days for the result to be posted, then +postal days.
We're hoping we get them for Saturday 21st August then we can post our application on the Saturday morning and go and relax for 4 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (we're due to get the train there at 11am that morning).
Wayne.
Whereabouts did your partner take his test? My wife had to drive down to Cambridge yesterday to take hers.
I think we have to wait 13 days for the result to be posted, then +postal days.
We're hoping we get them for Saturday 21st August then we can post our application on the Saturday morning and go and relax for 4 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (we're due to get the train there at 11am that morning).
Wayne.
Aug 6th 2010, 3:28 pm
#11
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Re: Language test
Hi sorry didn't see my wife was replying also, crossed posts! 
Wayne.
Wayne.
Aug 6th 2010, 4:09 pm
#12
Island life at last
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Re: Language test
Hi helcat12, ok well as soon as we get the results we will post them here and let you know!
Whereabouts did your partner take his test? My wife had to drive down to Cambridge yesterday to take hers.
I think we have to wait 13 days for the result to be posted, then +postal days.
We're hoping we get them for Saturday 21st August then we can post our application on the Saturday morning and go and relax for 4 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (we're due to get the train there at 11am that morning).
Wayne.
Whereabouts did your partner take his test? My wife had to drive down to Cambridge yesterday to take hers.
I think we have to wait 13 days for the result to be posted, then +postal days.
We're hoping we get them for Saturday 21st August then we can post our application on the Saturday morning and go and relax for 4 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (we're due to get the train there at 11am that morning).
Wayne.
) to get all the paperwork for our PR ready for him to take with him. All he needs then is a copy of his TWP and a letter from his employer about retaining him indefinitely as long as he gets PR (both of which he will get when he arrives) and he has everything for the application to be posted. He will get it posted in the first week he is there.I'm not planning on being left here to cat and house-sit for any longer than is necessary!
PM or e-mail me when you get the results and we'll compare notes!
