IELTS Research Reports

An impact study into the use of IELTS by professional associations and registration entities:Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland3 NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TESTSIn the three countries on which this study focused, English language testing and assessment hasbeen in place for many years. Professional mobility is increasing, encouraged by access and equitylegislation and political policies which encourage migration of the educated and the skilled. This inturn is increasing the need for internationally accessible English language testing systems.The associations examined in this study varied quite widely in the choice of national and internationaltests which they considered met their needs, generally stipulating somewhere between one and fourlanguage assessment options. By far, however, the most comprehensively used assessment systemswere IELTS and the various forms of the TOEFL.The full range of assessment systems accepted was as follows:■■International English Language Testing System (IELTS)■■The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in its various modes:––Paper-based TOEFL––Computer-based TOEFL––Internet-based TOEFL (iB TOEFL)––The Test of Written English (TWE) (combined with TOEFL)––The Test of Spoken English (TSE) (combined with TOEFL)■■Cambridge ESOL Tests■■Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE)■■The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)■■The CanTEST■■The Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN)■■The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)3.1 International English Language Testing System (IELTS)The International English Language Testing System was originally established in the late 1980s andaccording to the IELTS website, at the time of writing was available in 500 locations in 120 countriesthroughout the world. It is jointly managed by IDP:IELTS Australia, the University of CambridgeESOL Examinations and the British Council, and in mid-2009 IELTS candidature reached the onemillion mark.It was designed initially with an Academic Module with specific purpose content intended to test languageproficiency for entry to studies in English, and a General Training Module which was aimed primarily atvocational language use. The specific purpose content was revised in subsequent versions of the test.Recognition of IELTS globally has grown to well over 6,000 institutions and professional bodies aswell as government immigration authorities. Recognition of the test in the USA, a relatively new andpotentially very large market, had grown to over 2,000 institutions and professional bodies by 2009.The test consists of an extended reading and listening test, a writing test in the form of an essay orreport, and a speaking test between candidate and examiner in the context of a real-time and real-lifediscussion. Candidates are able to sit the test as often as they wish and are able to access their resultsin a short timeframe of thirteen days. Institutional and professional users are able to access candidateresults directly through an online verification service.IELTS Research Reports Volume 1129