IELTS - is it compulsory?
May 1st 2003, 5:21 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 89
IELTS - is it compulsory?
Dear All,
The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country? Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
Secondly does DIMIA send you a letter asking that you take an IELTS or do you just assume you have to take the test because you come from a non-English speaking country/hold a non-English-speaking-country-passport?
To clarify my case, I have an Indian Passport with a first degree in India, but have been in the US (doing my MSc and working) and now in the UK for the last 10 years. Do I have to take the IELTS or am I exempt, how do I determine if I am required to take the IELTS?
The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country? Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
Secondly does DIMIA send you a letter asking that you take an IELTS or do you just assume you have to take the test because you come from a non-English speaking country/hold a non-English-speaking-country-passport?
To clarify my case, I have an Indian Passport with a first degree in India, but have been in the US (doing my MSc and working) and now in the UK for the last 10 years. Do I have to take the IELTS or am I exempt, how do I determine if I am required to take the IELTS?
May 1st 2003, 7:54 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Argentina
Posts: 120
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
It is clearly stated on form 1119
• Provide evidence that you are a native English speaker, this will give you points for competent English.
• In some cases, providing evidence that you have undertaken post-secondary studies at an institution where all instruction was in English may give you points for English.
• Undertake an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. You need only take the general training test
(unless otherwise advised by your skills assessing authority).
• Pass an occupational English test (or equivalent) if required by the assessing body for your nominated occupation—this will give you points for competent English enabling you to
score the maximum 20 points for English language ability.
2. If there is any doubt about your ability in the English language, we may ask you to undertake an IELTS test, if you have not already done so. Waiver of the IELTS test is at the discretion of the migration officer processing your application.
3. You should include evidence of your ability in the English language with your application.
• Provide evidence that you are a native English speaker, this will give you points for competent English.
• In some cases, providing evidence that you have undertaken post-secondary studies at an institution where all instruction was in English may give you points for English.
• Undertake an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. You need only take the general training test
(unless otherwise advised by your skills assessing authority).
• Pass an occupational English test (or equivalent) if required by the assessing body for your nominated occupation—this will give you points for competent English enabling you to
score the maximum 20 points for English language ability.
2. If there is any doubt about your ability in the English language, we may ask you to undertake an IELTS test, if you have not already done so. Waiver of the IELTS test is at the discretion of the migration officer processing your application.
3. You should include evidence of your ability in the English language with your application.
Originally posted by jude
Dear All,
The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country? Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
Secondly does DIMIA send you a letter asking that you take an IELTS or do you just assume you have to take the test because you come from a non-English speaking country/hold a non-English-speaking-country-passport?
To clarify my case, I have an Indian Passport with a first degree in India, but have been in the US (doing my MSc and working) and now in the UK for the last 10 years. Do I have to take the IELTS or am I exempt, how do I determine if I am required to take the IELTS?
Dear All,
The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country? Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
Secondly does DIMIA send you a letter asking that you take an IELTS or do you just assume you have to take the test because you come from a non-English speaking country/hold a non-English-speaking-country-passport?
To clarify my case, I have an Indian Passport with a first degree in India, but have been in the US (doing my MSc and working) and now in the UK for the last 10 years. Do I have to take the IELTS or am I exempt, how do I determine if I am required to take the IELTS?
May 2nd 2003, 5:04 am
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 272
Jude:
It seems that you will be required to take the IELTS test. I have an Indian passport, lived in the United States for two years and got a Master's degree, and at present I am living in Australia. I was asked to take the IELTS test.
It seems that you will be required to take the IELTS test. I have an Indian passport, lived in the United States for two years and got a Master's degree, and at present I am living in Australia. I was asked to take the IELTS test.
May 2nd 2003, 6:34 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
jude wrote in message news:...
> The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS
> compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country?
> Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
I have included with my application my Cambridge Proficiency Grade A
dated 12/95. That was not sufficient so I had to take the IELTS
nevertheless.
You can wait for them to ask for it or, if you don't mind spending the
AUD 450 or so extra, do it anyway to possibly speed up things.
Good luck
Thomas
> The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS
> compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country?
> Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
I have included with my application my Cambridge Proficiency Grade A
dated 12/95. That was not sufficient so I had to take the IELTS
nevertheless.
You can wait for them to ask for it or, if you don't mind spending the
AUD 450 or so extra, do it anyway to possibly speed up things.
Good luck
Thomas
May 11th 2003, 6:51 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 136
Originally posted by engin77
Jude:
It seems that you will be required to take the IELTS test. I have an Indian passport, lived in the United States for two years and got a Master's degree, and at present I am living in Australia. I was asked to take the IELTS test.
Jude:
It seems that you will be required to take the IELTS test. I have an Indian passport, lived in the United States for two years and got a Master's degree, and at present I am living in Australia. I was asked to take the IELTS test.
Did you get your Master in the USA? And they still asked you to take the IELTS exams? I'm worried because I thought that having studied in an english university for a year they wouldn't ask me for it. We didn't take the exam because the nearer test center is 700 km away and we don't have a car (and we're not to keen on going to Toronto at the moment). Don't know what to do now... especialy as I know we might have to wait quite some time before being able to take the test.
Could you tell me how long you waited before DIMIA asked you to take it? It's been 6 months for us now, and we're hoping we got through it... (if only)
Thanks
Vanessa
May 11th 2003, 6:57 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 136
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
I have included with my application my Cambridge Proficiency Grade A dated 12/95. That was not sufficient so I had to take the IELTS nevertheless.
You can wait for them to ask for it or, if you don't mind spending the AUD 450 or so extra, do it anyway to possibly speed up things.
Good luck
Thomas
You can wait for them to ask for it or, if you don't mind spending the AUD 450 or so extra, do it anyway to possibly speed up things.
Good luck
Thomas
Same question as my precedent post really. Could you please tell me after how many months DIMIA asked you to take the IELTS? How long did you have to wait for the results?
I know it might not prove anything, but I'm relly getting worried now that I have read your posts. I just don't feel like driving 16 hours just to take the test...
Thanks for your help.
Vanessa
May 12th 2003, 3:28 am
#7
Ex Mod (2002-2005)
Joined: May 2002
Location: NSW
Posts: 5,464
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
Originally posted by Thomas Voirol
jude wrote in message...
> The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS
> compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country?
> Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
I have included with my application my Cambridge Proficiency Grade A dated 12/95. That was not sufficient so I had to take the IELTS nevertheless.
jude wrote in message...
> The question of IELTS seems to be a bit confusing to me. Is IELTS
> compulsory for applicants who come from a non-English speaking country?
> Or is it for anyone who holds a non-English speaking country Passport?
I have included with my application my Cambridge Proficiency Grade A dated 12/95. That was not sufficient so I had to take the IELTS nevertheless.
Any English qualification other than IELTS scores has only a persuasive effect on your case officer when deciding your English points.
It depends on whether your bachelor's degree was done in English or not, and whether that degree is equivalent to an Australian bachelor's degree as stated in the Country Education Profile.
I never had to submit my IELTS test as I overloaded ASPC with a bunch of English proficiency test results dating back as far as my teenage years, and with evidence that my equivalent Australian bachelor's degree was done in English.
Peter
May 12th 2003, 5:12 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
Vanou wrote in message news:...
> Same question as my precedent post really. Could you please tell me
> after how many months DIMIA asked you to take the IELTS? How long did
> you have to wait for the results?
I lodged on March 11. I got a letter from my case officer (yes, I got
assigned one after what appears to be 3 weeks) on April 1 (no joke)
requesting the original of the police check (I front-loaded) plus an
IELTS. I took the test on April 28. I had the copy of the test results
(originals were sent to DIMIA directly) on April 6.
http://www.austimeline.com/austime/a...App.jsp?id=744
It seems my timeline is one of the quickest I've seen in a while.
Knocking on wood it stays that way.
Good luck
Thomas
> Same question as my precedent post really. Could you please tell me
> after how many months DIMIA asked you to take the IELTS? How long did
> you have to wait for the results?
I lodged on March 11. I got a letter from my case officer (yes, I got
assigned one after what appears to be 3 weeks) on April 1 (no joke)
requesting the original of the police check (I front-loaded) plus an
IELTS. I took the test on April 28. I had the copy of the test results
(originals were sent to DIMIA directly) on April 6.
http://www.austimeline.com/austime/a...App.jsp?id=744
It seems my timeline is one of the quickest I've seen in a while.
Knocking on wood it stays that way.
Good luck
Thomas
May 12th 2003, 1:33 pm
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
On Sun, 11 May 2003 18:51:48 +0000, Vanou wrote:
> Did you get your Master in the USA? And they still asked you to take the
> IELTS exams?
I have a masters from a British university. I also worked in the UK
for a couple of years, and I have been working in the USA for the last
three years. However, I took the IELTS because all I read and all the
advise I got from this forum and other places indicated that DIMIA
would eventually ask me for the IELTS anyway. So I am afraid you will
also have to take it.
> Did you get your Master in the USA? And they still asked you to take the
> IELTS exams?
I have a masters from a British university. I also worked in the UK
for a couple of years, and I have been working in the USA for the last
three years. However, I took the IELTS because all I read and all the
advise I got from this forum and other places indicated that DIMIA
would eventually ask me for the IELTS anyway. So I am afraid you will
also have to take it.
May 13th 2003, 6:41 am
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 250
If you have completed a qualification comparable to an Australian bachelor degree or higher, DIMIA will generally indicate that English language testing is "not necessary". This is set out in the Procedures Advice Manual and is very clear.
We are hardly ever requested for IELTS testing for clients who have completed a bachelor, graduate diploma or masters which was taught in English. This includes many people who did not grow up with English as their first language.
Of course, we have needed to point this policy out to processing officers a number of times...
We are hardly ever requested for IELTS testing for clients who have completed a bachelor, graduate diploma or masters which was taught in English. This includes many people who did not grow up with English as their first language.
Of course, we have needed to point this policy out to processing officers a number of times...
May 16th 2003, 2:32 pm
#11
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 136
Originally posted by Mark Webster
If you have completed a qualification comparable to an Australian bachelor degree or higher, DIMIA will generally indicate that English language testing is "not necessary". This is set out in the Procedures Advice Manual and is very clear.
We are hardly ever requested for IELTS testing for clients who have completed a bachelor, graduate diploma or masters which was taught in English. This includes many people who did not grow up with English as their first language.
Of course, we have needed to point this policy out to processing officers a number of times...
If you have completed a qualification comparable to an Australian bachelor degree or higher, DIMIA will generally indicate that English language testing is "not necessary". This is set out in the Procedures Advice Manual and is very clear.
We are hardly ever requested for IELTS testing for clients who have completed a bachelor, graduate diploma or masters which was taught in English. This includes many people who did not grow up with English as their first language.
Of course, we have needed to point this policy out to processing officers a number of times...
I guess we'll just wait and see and if they ask for it, well, too bad. Then, we'll just have to rent a car, book an hotel room and drive exactly 820km (I checked) to take that test!! Couldn't have been easier, right?
I so do not want them to ask us for it!!!! If someone out there ever drived from Montreal to Toronto, you 'll know what I'm talking about. Never seen a duller drive...
Well, I let you know what happens.
Thanks again for your help.
Vanessa
May 16th 2003, 5:48 pm
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
On Fri, 16 May 2003 14:32:53 +0000, Vanou wrote:
> Then, we'll just have to rent a car, book an hotel room and drive
> exactly 820km (I checked) to take that test!! Couldn't have been
> easier, right?
That is a similar story to most of the people we met in Washington DC
taking the IELTS, including us. That examination center seems to be
the only one in the whole East Coast of the USA. We "only" had to
drive from New Jersey, but there were a couple who came all the way
from Tennessee. They arrived at the examination center 5 minutes late
and had to pay the examination fees a second time. It is an expensive
test, not just because of the fees, but all the rest. I calculate it
costed us more than US$500 with hotel, gasoline, etc.
> Then, we'll just have to rent a car, book an hotel room and drive
> exactly 820km (I checked) to take that test!! Couldn't have been
> easier, right?
That is a similar story to most of the people we met in Washington DC
taking the IELTS, including us. That examination center seems to be
the only one in the whole East Coast of the USA. We "only" had to
drive from New Jersey, but there were a couple who came all the way
from Tennessee. They arrived at the examination center 5 minutes late
and had to pay the examination fees a second time. It is an expensive
test, not just because of the fees, but all the rest. I calculate it
costed us more than US$500 with hotel, gasoline, etc.
May 16th 2003, 6:19 pm
#13
Pass The Post
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Ping Ponged York via Melbourne and now pinged to Ferny Hills, Brisbane
Posts: 1,177
My husband was born in Sri Lanka and has lived in the UK for the past 17 years. He studied a Beng in Civil Engineering at Covertry Uni and he has not been asked for an IELTS.
Don't know if this helps
Jo
Don't know if this helps
Jo
May 17th 2003, 4:07 pm
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: IELTS - is it compulsory?
[email protected] wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> That is a similar story to most of the people we met in Washington DC
> taking the IELTS, including us. That examination center seems to be
> the only one in the whole East Coast of the USA. We "only" had to
> drive from New Jersey, but there were a couple who came all the way
> from Tennessee. They arrived at the examination center 5 minutes late
> and had to pay the examination fees a second time. It is an expensive
> test, not just because of the fees, but all the rest. I calculate it
> costed us more than US$500 with hotel, gasoline, etc.
Yes, it seem that your only choice is the coasts. There's 3 locations on
the west coast (L.A., SanFran and Portland), but nothing here in Colorado.
If we get to that point, we may just combine it with a vacation in
California - wife gets to visit old friends, I get to sit in a classroom...
Mike
news:[email protected]:
> That is a similar story to most of the people we met in Washington DC
> taking the IELTS, including us. That examination center seems to be
> the only one in the whole East Coast of the USA. We "only" had to
> drive from New Jersey, but there were a couple who came all the way
> from Tennessee. They arrived at the examination center 5 minutes late
> and had to pay the examination fees a second time. It is an expensive
> test, not just because of the fees, but all the rest. I calculate it
> costed us more than US$500 with hotel, gasoline, etc.
Yes, it seem that your only choice is the coasts. There's 3 locations on
the west coast (L.A., SanFran and Portland), but nothing here in Colorado.
If we get to that point, we may just combine it with a vacation in
California - wife gets to visit old friends, I get to sit in a classroom...
Mike
May 22nd 2003, 6:02 am
#15
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Florida, USA
Posts: 40
"• In some cases, providing evidence that you have undertaken post-secondary studies at an institution where all instruction was in English MAY GIVE YOU POINTS FOR ENGLISH."
Well as the form 1119 clearly states that having done your post-secondary studies in english MAY give you points ... Which makes me believe that if its 20 points you are looking for then you are better off giving IELTS.
In my case, I am not from native english speaking country but only required 15 points for english to make the pass mark. Apparently, fact that my education was in english was enough for DIMIA to grant me the required 15 points ...
So I guess its really based on the number of points one needs ... Thoughts??
Well as the form 1119 clearly states that having done your post-secondary studies in english MAY give you points ... Which makes me believe that if its 20 points you are looking for then you are better off giving IELTS.
In my case, I am not from native english speaking country but only required 15 points for english to make the pass mark. Apparently, fact that my education was in english was enough for DIMIA to grant me the required 15 points ...
So I guess its really based on the number of points one needs ... Thoughts??