IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an internationally owned and globally recognized direct English language assessment of the highest quality and integrity readily available throughout the world.

IELTS is a highly dependable, practical and valid English language assessment primarily used by those seeking international education, professional recognition, bench-marking to international standards and global mobility.

IELTS is owned, developed and delivered through the partnership of the British Council, IDP:
IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations

REQUIREMENTS

1. 2 pcs passport size colored photo (taken within six months) with your signature on front right hand side
2. Valid ID – passport should not expire within six months after test date. SSS ID card, GSIS policy number with company ID or PRC ID. Photocopy of the ID must be attached to the application form.
3. Complete the application form and requirements. Candidates can download from www.ielts.org or at

   British Council – 10F Taipan Place, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
   Tel No. 914-1011 to 14
   Fax No. 914-1020
   Email: ielts@britishcouncil.org.ph

   Autralian IELTS Administrator (IDP) – IDP Education Australia
   2F Pioneer House, 108 Paseo de Roxas Legaspi Village, Makati City
   Tel No: 816-0755 ext. 108

4. Test fee

APPLICATION STEPS

STEP 1: Go to a chosen test center and get a copy of the IELTS Application Form.

STEP 2: Fill in the Application Form and send it or submit it personally to the test center with the test fee and two passport sized photographs. Attach an evidence of identity , which should be a passport number or a national identity card number.

STEP 3: The test center will confirm your IELTS test date and time. Two weeks before your scheduled exam, you will receive a confirmation letter informing you of the schedule and venue for the written and speaking exams.

STEP 4: Register for the Test at least 2 weeks before your preferred test date.

STEP 5: On the test day, bring the same evidence of identity as the number entered in the application form.

EXAM FEES
Test fee is P8960, currently British Council Philippines accepts cash, manager’s check or cashier's check or bank draft (payable to the British Council) forms of payment. All payment should be in pesos only.

EXAM SCHEDULES
2006 IELTS test dates

IELTS is offered to candidates on a fixed date basis. There are up to 48 test dates a year available and individual test centers offer IELTS tests 1 to 4 times per month depending on local demand. Not all test centers offer tests on all dates. Check directly with your selected test centre for upcoming IELTS test dates.

	Sa	Thurs	Sat	Thurs	Sat	Thurs
January	7	12	14		21
February	11		18	23	25
March	11		18		25	30
April	8		22	27	29
May	13		20	25	27
June	10		17		24	29
July	8		22	27	29
August	5		12	24	26
September	2		16		23	28
October	14		21	26	28
November	4		18		25	30
December	2		9	14	16

Dates for both Academic and General Training modules. Dates for Academic module only. *

*Source:www.ielts.org

PASSING THE EXAM

Under the Standards set forth in section 212(a)(5)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (also known as section 343), immigrant health care workers must demonstrate competence in oral and written English as shown by an appropriate score on one or more nationally recognized, commercially available, standardized assessments of English language proficiency. The two testing services approved to provide this testing are the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the English Language Institute(ELI). Foreign-educated nurses applying to the VisaScreen program must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of Written English (TWE) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE) provided by ETS or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery(MELAB) provided by ELI. As of October 14, 1998 the following passing scores must be achieved by nurses.

In a letter dated January 23, 2003, to the INS, the HHS and State Department proposed to accept the English language exams offered by the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) and the Test of English in International Communications (TOEIC) to satisfy the VisaScreen requirement. The CGFNS will start accepting the new examinations, both of which have been approved by the HHS, by February 24, 2003.

Test	Passing Score
TOEFL/TWE	540/4.0
TSE	50
TOEIC; must include TWE and TSE	725
IELTS	6.5 overall with a spoken band score of 7.0

From http://www.cgfns.org/ICHP/vsenglish.htm

OTHERS

All IELTS results are released 13 calendar days after the test.

The IELTS Test Report Form

Candidates will receive only one copy of their Test Report Form (TRF). This is a very valuable document and it is recommended that candidates take due care in keeping their TRF secure. It can not be replaced. Additional, original Test Report Forms may be forwarded to institutions of the candidate’s choice.

The IELTS TRF includes:

• the candidate's scores, on a Band Scale from 1 to 9, for each module of the test
• the candidate's overall Band Score, on a scale from 1 to 9
• whether the candidate has completed the Academic or General Training test
• the candidate's photo, and details of his/her nationality, first language and date of birth

Please note

• there is no pass or fail mark
• overall Band Scores and Band Scores for Listening and Reading are reported in half bands
• Writing and Speaking Band Scores are reported in whole bands
• the results are recommended as valid for two years

The TRF, in giving a Band Score for each of the four modules of the test as well as an overall Band Score, allows receiving institutions to clearly identify the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.

Marking at the test centre ensures that test results are available without any administrative delay.

A valid Test Report Form bears a centre stamp, candidate photo, a validation stamp and the IELTS administrator's signature. Test Report Forms are sent directly from the test.

Rules and Regulations

You must

• Provide proof of your identity (e.g. national identify card or passport) at registration and every examination session. Second country nationals must produce a passport. This ID must contain a number, a signature, a date of birth and a photograph. It is the responsibility of the candidate to prove their identity.
• Provide two recent passport-sized photographs on registration
• Only have on your desk a pen/pencil and an eraser.
• Ensure mobile phones and pagers are switched off and placed with personal belongings in the area designated by the supervisor. Any candidate who does not switch off their phone/pager, or who retains one in their possession, will be disqualified.
• Notify the test invigilator immediately if test day conditions in any way impede your performance.

You must not

• Attempt to cheat, copy the work of another candidate or disrupt the test.
• Use, or attempt to use, a dictionary, pager, spell-checker, electronic recorder or mobile phone for the duration of the test. Any candidate doing so will be disqualified.
• Talk to or disturb other candidates once the examination has started.
• Smoke, eat or drink in the examination room.
• Reproduce any part of the test in any format/medium. Any candidate doing so will have their test results disqualified and be liable to prosecution.
• Remove any materials used during the examination. This includes, but is not limited to, examination papers, answer papers and working paper.

Disqualification warning

If you are caught infringing any of the candidate rules and regulations your test result will be disqualified and notification of your disqualification will be sent to any receiving institution or professional body.

Advice and Information

Make sure you attend on time

• Know the date, time and place of your test and arrive before the scheduled starting time.
• If you arrive late for any of the papers, report to the supervisor or invigilator. You may not be allowed to take the test.

Bring what you need

• Take into the test room only the pens, pencils and erasers which you need for the examination.
• Correction fluid and highlighters must not be used.
• Leave anything which you do not need, or which is not allowed, either outside the test room, or as instructed by the supervisor.
• You may not lend anything to, or borrow anything from, another candidate during the test.

Examination instructions

• Listen to the supervisor and do what you are asked to do.
• Tell the supervisor or invigilator at once if you think you have not been given the right question paper, or if the question paper is incomplete or illegible.
• Read carefully and follow the instructions printed on the question paper and on the answer sheet.
• Fill in the details required on the front of your question paper and on your answer sheet before the start of the test.

Advice and assistance during the test

• If you are in doubt about what you should do, raise your hand to attract attention. The invigilator will come to your assistance.
• You may not ask for, and will not be given, any explanation of the questions.
• If on the day of the test you feel that your work may be affected by ill health or any other reason, you must inform the invigilator at the time.

Leaving the test room

• You may not leave the test room without the permission of the supervisor or invigilator.
• You can not leave your seat until all papers have been collected and you have been told you can leave.
• When you leave the examination room you must leave behind the question paper, your answer paper, any paper used for rough work clearly crossed through and any other materials provided for the test.
• Do not make any noise near the examination room.

Source:www.ielts.org