British Council speaks out on suspected IELTS exam postponement due to cheating

The British Council said it estimated that thousands of Vietnamese candidates were affected by the recent decision to postpone foreign language proficiency exams in Vietnam.

According to the British Council, it is unclear at this point when the Ministry of Education and Training will grant permission to re-organize IELTS exams. Therefore, it is impossible to determine exactly how many exams will be suspended. However, in the worst case scenario, if the exam is not allowed to be re-organized in 2022, up to hundreds of exams may have to be temporarily canceled compared to the original plan.

“Since receiving new instructions from the Ministry of Education and Training on organizing the exam, we have promptly carried out the procedures for submitting and completing the application as instructed. In the application, we also affirmed that the organization of the IELTS exam in Vietnam fully complies with the international standards of the IELTS exam and this model has been tested to be highly effective, not only in Vietnam but in all countries around the world.

“In addition, we want to continue to provide equal opportunities for all candidates across the country. We hope to receive the necessary support from the Ministry of Education and Training to continue to maintain these values ​​and standards. We are currently completing the procedures according to the new guidelines from the Ministry of Education and Training and hope to receive the Ministry's license soon to continue organizing the exams,” the British Council said in the letter.

Candidates taking the IELTS test. Photo: Provided by the British Council.

Regarding the information flow of suspicion about stopping the organization of IELTS certification exams in Hong Kong to serve the inspection related to recent reflections on buying IELTS test papers.

Responding to this issue, the British Council said that the Ministry of Education and Training's temporary postponement of exams affects all foreign language certification exams, applicable to all languages ​​as well as the units organizing these exams in Vietnam. The organization also affirmed that the temporary postponement of international foreign language certification exams has nothing to do with the suspicions of cheating surrounding the organization of the exams.

According to the British Council, IELTS is one of the most secure exams, with advanced management systems to help identify cheating in exams globally. The co-owners of IELTS take the prevention and resolution of cheating and exam irregularities very seriously.

The organisation also said it was aware of widespread fraud using the name of IELTS, both online and offline. Fraudsters often pose as partners or have relationships with IELTS co-owners and may provide test papers before the official test date.

“The British Council urges candidates to be vigilant when receiving such fraudulent information. The IELTS test is strictly confidential with many levels throughout before, during and after the test to ensure the accuracy and reliability of an international standard language proficiency test. Serious cases of cheating may be banned from taking the test for 2 years, and will be refused to be considered for a period of time by organizations that recognize IELTS certificates globally,” the British Council shared.

During the IELTS test suspension period, the British Council also issued recommendations to candidates who had registered to take the test during this period.

“We also know that many candidates have registered for the test months in advance and that their study and work plans will be disrupted by this. We are currently completing the procedures according to the new guidelines from the Ministry of Education and Training, and hope to receive the Ministry's license soon to continue organizing IELTS tests. In the meantime, the British Council hopes that candidates can take advantage of the extra time to improve their English skills and prepare well for the test. The British Council website and fanpage are regularly updated with free preparation materials and seminars for candidates,” the British Council informed.

According to Vietnamnet