IELTS tests over one million candidates in a year
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CERTIFICATIONS BREAK THROUGH ONE MILLION
MARK IN YEAR -
TAGALOG SPEAKERS AND GERMANS SCORE BEST
For the first time ever in a single 12 month period, more than
one million people around the world (or two every minute) have
gained certification in the world’s most popular English language
test for immigration and higher education - The International
English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Topping the results league table were those whose first language
was Tagalog - spoken in the Philippines - with an overall score of
6.571 across the four papers (listening, reading, writing and
speaking). They were closely followed by Spanish, Malay, Hindi and
Tamil (spoken widely in Southern India and Sri Lanka) speakers.
From a country perspective Germany tops the list - its residents
scored an average of 7.16 - followed by Malaysia, the Philippines,
Russia and Hong Kong.
Results also show that female candidates have the slight edge on
their male counterparts with an overall score of 5.94 across the
papers compared with 5.74 for men.
Just over half of those taking the test (51%) do so because they
wish to enter higher education in a foreign country. An increasing
number of these candidates are doing so to study in the USA with
more than 1,700 universities and colleges (including Harvard and
Yale) accepting IELTS scores.
Beryl Meiron, Executive Director of IELTS International in the
USA said: “This is the first year that IELTS has reached the one
million mark and the number of candidates taking the test has more
than doubled in the last three years. We believe this is a direct
reflection of the fact that it gives a well rounded picture of how
well a person really knows English. It covers the speaking,
writing, reading and listening abilities in a way that is relevant
to the real world. It’s not just about giving our students a piece
of paper saying they can speak English but it’s about proving that
they have the language skills they need to operate in a work or
study environment in their country of choice.”
IELTS is offered in over 500 locations in 121 countries with the
greatest number of tests taken in China, India, Australia, UK and
Pakistan, making IELTS the most popular international English
language test of its kind in the world.
IELTS is jointly managed by British Council, IDP: IELTS
Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
