IELTS this Saturday, again.

[FilipinaDiver]

I will be sitting for academic IELTS in Manchester this Saturday and it will be my (gulp) 3rd time. I first took it last year around this time while I was doing a mind-boggling 12 hour shifts working as an ICU nurse in Egypt, the results didn't surprise me at all as I really didn't study at all. How could I? Speaking 7, Listening 8, Reading 7.5 and the dreaded Writing 6.0. Second time, I took it in Manila just last March, I also didn't make it Reading 7.5, Speaking 7.0, Listening 8.5 and Writing 6.5 Only a half mark to meet my goal! ARGH!!!! I need 7.0 score in all tests to be able to work here. And I will be taking it again this coming Saturday. I know I shouldn't be ranting about it here but I am just feeling a bit lacking of motivation. I don't have my friends here, my Mom doesn't know how to operate a computer moreso to open Skype. My hubby is in Germany working but will be arriving tomorrow. Oh well, it will come, I will make my coffee to push my brain cells to work OT.

[Dedworth]

Good luck

[Michael Parnham]

Hopefully You'll be fine, good luck!

[NoRest]

It's not an easy test at all, especially if you're aiming for a higher score.

Good luck, hopefully third time lucky, eh!

[joebloggs]

Where are you taking it, in the city centre at Manchester Uni ?

I've been a few times there, stood waiting for my misses to finish taking the exam, she needed 7 in each section to work here too, also it's only valid for 2yrs, but you're lucky, when my misses took it, if you wanted to take it again you had to wait 3 months , a couple of years ago they scrapped the 3 months wait

Good luck

[FilipinaDiver]

Thanks all!

Joebloggs, yes I am going to take it in Manchester Uni. I'm still working hard and I'm on my 5th coffee of the day hahaha!

[FilipinaDiver]

I guess it's understandable that one should speak and understand English properly to be able to work here. It is just so unrealistic, in Task 1 in writing they would want you to become a good statistician. Whereas, in Task 2, they would want you to become an English professor major in technical writing! I hope they could abolish that 7.0 score in all tests and focus more on the average. Hahaha! wishful thinking.

[Jentobeharrison]

I guess it's understandable that one should speak and understand English properly to be able to work here. It is just so unrealistic, in Task 1 in writing they would want you to become a good statistician. Whereas, in Task 2, they would want you to become an English professor major in technical writing! I hope they could abolish that 7.0 score in all tests and focus more on the average. Hahaha! wishful thinking.

Hi, for settlement visa they have minimum requirement right? What if you just get the minimum score? Won't you be able to work there? Or work as professionals only?

[Michael Parnham]

Hi, for settlement visa they have minimum requirement right? What if you just get the minimum score? Won't you be able to work there? Or work as professionals only?

You'll still be able to work, but in a different job!

[Terpe]

IELTS this Saturday, again...

Here's wishing you best of British Luck ...........

Onwards and Upwards...

[RickyR]

Good luck with IELTS, I agree that it's a ridiculous an awful exam for measuring English skills in my personal opinion.

Both myself and wife had to do IELTS for migrating to Australia, yes even me as a native speaker had to do it for some extra points, I only got an 8.5 in writing... The listening is difficult because you have to concentrate so much, and those ridiculous true false not given questions in the reading exam aghhhhhh. I sorely regret drinking so much red wine into the early hours before the IELTS exam...

[Doc Alan]

Good luck with the IELTS

[dontpushme]

I guess it's understandable that one should speak and understand English properly to be able to work here. It is just so unrealistic, in Task 1 in writing they would want you to become a good statistician. Whereas, in Task 2, they would want you to become an English professor major in technical writing! I hope they could abolish that 7.0 score in all tests and focus more on the average. Hahaha! wishful thinking.

Don't worry, you can do it! You've tried it before, and know what to expect. Just relax and rely on all the things you've learned since the last time you took the exam. All you need is half a mark more than last time anyway.

[Arthur Little]

I guess it's understandable that one should speak and understand English properly to be able to work here. It is just so unrealistic, in Task 1 in writing they would want you to become a good statistician. Whereas, in Task 2, they would want you to become an English professor major in technical writing! I hope they could abolish that 7.0 score in all tests and focus more on the average. Hahaha! wishful thinking.

... but I never realised - until reading this thread of yours - just how high certain Professional Bodies set their standards in testing overseas students' English Language skills.

Now, I realise this may seem like small consolation to someone in your situation. But I want you to know how very impressed I am with the command of the 'written' word you've consistently displayed in your postings here on the forum ... and hope and this awareness of your obvious talents will instill sufficient self confidence to boost your morale ahead of tomorrow's Examination.

YOU can DO IT you know you can ... ALL THE BEST to you!

[SimonH]

I'm sure you'll be fine

I am in constant awe at command of the English language most of the young ladies have on this forum, it really does put some of us 'natives' to shame

[Jentobeharrison]

You'll still be able to work, but in a different job!

Like what kind of jobs? Not professional stuff?


Hey filipina diver! Good luck to your exam!! Lots of love <3

[Arthur Little]

I am in constant awe at command of the English language most of the young ladies have on this forum, it really does put some of us 'natives' to shame

Me too, Simon ... 's why I get so at the nerve of the UK Education Authorities' and NARIC's [amongst others] IMO, completely biased and inaccurate assessments of nations like the Philippines, whose English Language abilities are every bit as GOOD as - if not BETTER than - those of native-born Brits.

[raynaputi]

I guess it's understandable that one should speak and understand English properly to be able to work here. It is just so unrealistic, in Task 1 in writing they would want you to become a good statistician. Whereas, in Task 2, they would want you to become an English professor major in technical writing! I hope they could abolish that 7.0 score in all tests and focus more on the average. Hahaha! wishful thinking.

Good luck! I think one advise I can give you is to take notice of how you use the British spellings and American spellings, i.e. "s" instead of "z" and other stuffs like that (I'm just guessing though). When I did my IELTS, I also got 6.5 in writing. I'm guessing because I've written it American way. Hahaha.. But I wasn't bothered that time coz I only did the General Training as a requirement for the fiancee visa.

[raynaputi]

Hi, for settlement visa they have minimum requirement right? What if you just get the minimum score? Won't you be able to work there? Or work as professionals only?

You will still be able to work. But some work needs higher English qualifications, like being a nurse/doctor (I'm not sure about IT and other fields though). They require at least 7.0 grade in all categories in IELTS.

[FilipinaDiver]

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you so much everyone for your kind words! This forum helped me and my husband a lot wrt preparing our papers prior the wedding. All your kind words will be stuck in my head for tomorrow's exam and that will suffice to push myself further. I will update you guys tomorrow after my exam.

Again.. Thank you, Merci, Danke, Kiitos, Shukran, Grazie and Salamat!

[Michael Parnham]

Like what kind of jobs? Not professional stuff?


Hey filipina diver! Good luck to your exam!! Lots of love <3

A job's a job, be grateful!

[FilipinaDiver]

Hello all! So I did my exam last Saturday and oh boy I thought I was not in the UK! 70% are Arabs and the rest are Asians (mostly Chinese). I felt more confident about the test compared to the previous times I have taken it. The most hated part, which is the written exam was a bit odd as it involved a quotation from John Wayne and if I remember it correctly, an examinee should never use a quotation/saying in his/her essay.

I also found the reading part so gender-biased with regards to it's topics which it would be easier for a man to grasp, topics like aeronautics, marine wildlife reservation (3 out 3 topics are sort of more technical). A man would struggle if the IELTS could give a long reading passage that deals with a more womanly topic like cloth-weaving. No wonder that why they ask for the gender of the examinees in the reading part, we're all guinea pigs to British Council (that's my theory).

[Michael Parnham]

Hello all! So I did my exam last Saturday and oh boy I thought I was not in the UK! 70% are Arabs and the rest are Asians (mostly Chinese). I felt more confident about the test compared to the previous times I have taken it. The most hated part, which is the written exam was a bit odd as it involved a quotation from John Wayne and if I remember it correctly, an examinee should never use a quotation/saying in his/her essay. I also found the reading part so gender-biased with regards to it's topics which it would be easier for a man to grasp, topics like aeronautics, marine wildlife reservation (3 out 3 topics are sort of more technical). A man would struggle if the ielts could give a long reading passage that deals with a more womanly topic like cloth-weaving. No wonder that why they ask for the gender of the examinees in the reading part, we're all guinea pigs to British Council (that's my theory).

Good luck with your result, hope it's ok!

[lordna]

Hope you get the result you need. I think all of us on here are hoping you have got it this time. Fingers crossed everyone!

[Arthur Little]

Hello all! So I did my exam last Saturday and oh boy I thought I was not in the UK! I felt more confident about the test compared to the previous times I have taken it.

Looks hopeful, ... 3rd time lucky!