The US Says Yes to

IELTS
EducationUSA Triennial Workshop
Prague, CZ

Beryl E. Meiron
Helga Stellmacher
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Ä. Introduction to IELTS
‡ What makes a good language proficiency test?
‡ History, statistics and US recognizing institutions views of IELTS

2. IELTS Fundamentals and Format

‡ The test modules: listening, reading, writing and speaking
‡ Scoring
‡ A look at the speaking test in detail

3. Stakeholder services
‡ IELTS in Eurasia - What¶s available to you: test centers, online
resources, preparation material, assisting advisees with IELTS
‡ Stakeholders in the US ± What¶s available to receiving institutions:
TRFVS, electronic score downloads, etc.

4. Questions / answers

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Ä. To assess the English language ability of non-native
speakers who intend to study at undergraduate, graduate
and professional schools where English is the language of
communication
2. To test communicative language proficiency
3. As a 4-skills test including listening, reading, writing, and a
live, face-to-face speaking test performed by a trained,
certified ESL professional

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‡ Ä
s - ³ELTS´ (English Language Testing Service) test
introduced by the British Council
‡ Ä  - IELTS international joint partnership formed
‡ Ä  - major content revision
‡ 2Ä - revised speaking test (3 sections)
‡ 2 - revised writing assessment criteria
‡ 2
- launch of half-band scores for writing and speaking
‡ 2 - web-based administration system
‡ 2 - 2th birthday celebration, launch of new website
‡ Upcoming ± internet-based test delivery

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What are the characteristics of a good English
language proficiency test?

«and why are more and more US schools

recognizing IELTS?

± Validity (content and construct)

± Reliability
± Impact (washback, test takers, stakeholders)
± Practicality

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Validity

‡ Ongoing research and continuing development on construct

and content validity

‡ Test content matched to test taker and stakeholder needs

Y Task-based items using multiple task types (geared to

learning and test taking styles)
Y Integrated skills
Y Face-to-face speaking
Y Pen and paper delivery

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Reliability
‡ Test material production
Y Test paper production process is a 2-year process ±
pre-editing to live item release
Y International item writing teams ± US, Canada, UK and Australia
Y All test versions are unique
‡ Assessment
Y Clerical markers (listening and reading)
Y Examiners (writing and speaking)
Y Must meet minimum professional requirements
Y Trained, certified by examination, performance
monitored
Y Regularly standardized, monitored and retrained and
recertified

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Practicality

‡ 4 test dates annually ± Saturdays and Thursdays

‡ Registrations accepted close to test day
‡ Results available in Ä3 calendar days
‡ Special needs candidates
‡ ³Enquiry on Results´
‡ Security
Y Time zones
Y Staff training and center audits (announced and unannounced)
Y Multiple test taker identity checks throughout the test day
Y Results cancellation
Y TRF verification website

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Impact

‡ High stakes
‡ Consequences for
‡ Test takers
‡ Sponsors
‡ Receiving institutions
‡ Teachers
‡ Publishers
‡ Academic researchers
‡ Government agencies
‡ Washback - consequences on the teaching / learning
environment

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 Global candidature growth:
1.4 million test takers in 2009
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 Global Candidature
Breakdown (2 )

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Ä. China Ä. China
2. Philippines 2. United States
3. India 3. Philippines
4. Saudi Arabia 4. India
. South Korea . Nepal
6. Nepal 6. South Korea

. Hong Kong
. Hong Kong
. Thailand . Vietnam
. Vietnam . Thailand
Ä. Libya Ä. France

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Ä. France
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Russia
. Turkey
6. Spain

. Kazakhstan
. Switzerland
. Belgium
Ä. Netherlands

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0   10  12
http://www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/international/application-instructions/

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 MIT, Boston, MA
http://math.mit.edu/academics/grad/admission/

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Europe Speaks IELTS!
‡ Dramatic increase in uptake
by HEIs

‡Entry/study
placements/progress/exit

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IELTS uses a -point scoring system to measure and report test scores (See
www.ielts.org and !()

Expert User
o   & %
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Most frequently
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used scores
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% for US admissions
4 Limited User
3 Extremely Limited User
2 Intermittent User
Ä Non User
 Did Not Attempt the Test

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-84

-84
. - Expert user
C2 - Mastery
. ± Very good

. ± Good user

CÄ - Effective Operational Proficiency
6. ± Competent user
B2 - Vantage
. ± Modest user

4. ± Limited user BÄ -|Threshold

 

  

 
 What scores do US schools require for
academic success?

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New York University
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UIUC 6.
Arizona State University 6.
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Columbia University
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Columbia School of Journalism .
7     4 :;% ' =>
Harvard MBA
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Duke University
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Indiana University
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4 sections, 4 items, 3 minutes

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3 sections, 4 items, 6 minutes 3 sections, 4 items, 6 minutes

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2 tasks, 6 minutes 2 tasks, 6 minutes

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Ä:Ä oral interview, ÄÄ-Ä4 minutes

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‡ short-answer questions
‡ sentence completion
‡ notes, summary, diagram, flow chart, table
completion
‡ classification
‡ matching
‡ multiple choice
‡ identification of writers¶ views, attitudes, claims

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Writing Assessment Criteria
Written performance is assessed using detailed performance
descriptors on four analytical subscales for assessment.

Ä. Task achievement or task response

2. Cohesion and coherence
3. Lexical resource
4. Grammatical range and accuracy

 
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Your turn²Part 3 example

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IELTS in Eurasia ± what services and support
are available to you and your advisees?

Schools and stakeholders in the US ± what free

services are available to them?

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 Support for test takers
‡ Online Ö($ "FREE preparation materials
‡ Self-study materials
‡ Face-to-face preparation courses
‡ Online resources
‡ Teacher workshops
‡ Test day procedures
‡ Local delivery (questions/currency/payment methods)
‡ Off-site testing available

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  / 
4# 8  6 
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Recognizing institutions can request

TRFVS access and receive secure
pin access codes for verified key
staff

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 Support and services for
Education USA advisers

‡ Center contact list (also see www.ielts.org)

‡ Hard copy information for test takers
‡ Briefing sessions for advisors and staff
‡ IELTS information and web link on Education USA sites
‡ IELTS presentations (IROs/students)

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688B
 . 
‡ IELTS is offered up to 4 times per month (see website)
‡ Saturday and Thursday test dates available globally

 .
  

‡ Fees are set locally by country to reflect the local
economy and payable in local currency

,     


‡ Search for test centers on www.ielts.org
‡ Test center information includes email, phone and
contact information

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 $ "& &&' ,,,
and we want to hear from you whenever
you have a question or concern
Beryl E. Meiron
IELTS International, Executive Director
E-mail: bmeiron@ieltsintl.org

Helga Stellmacher
IELTS Development Manager, Europe
E-mail: helga.stellmacher@britishcouncil.fr
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