By Canadian Immigrant |
When the federal government introduced the new express entry system in January 2015, the British Council knew they could expect to see a rise in demand for IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests. The IELTS test is the world’s most popular English language test.
By Canadian Immigrant |
When the federal government introduced the new express entry system in January 2015, the British Council knew they could expect to see a rise in demand for IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests. The IELTS test is the world’s most popular English language test.
In order to apply for express entry, newcomers are required to score a minimum of six on the IELTS test (nine is the highest score achievable). While Canada’s immigration system was previously a first-come, first-served system, the new express entry system selects candidates based on their qualifications. The easiest way for a candidate to manipulate their score and increase their chances of getting selected through the express entry system is to score higher on the IELTS test.
Assia Hamdane, IELTS marketing manager at the British Council says the testing organization is already seeing a rise in demand from IELTS test takers. “We already saw a 20 per cent increase in May 2013 when the government came up with the skilled migration program,” she says. The British Council offers preparatory courses at their centres to help test takers prepare for the challenging exam. Hamdane is expecting an increase in demand both for the British Council’s preparatory courses as well as the exam itself because of express entry.