www.ielts.org

A New Wave of English Language Exams on your Campus - IELTS

2011 NCTA Annual Conference San Diego, CA

www.ielts.org

•Akiko Aharonian

Testing Office

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

•Aubree Gold

ELS San Diego, San Diego, CA

www.ielts.org

Presentation Overview1. What is IELTS?

2. Why and how to become a IELTS test center?

3. Test Administration in a college setting

4. UA Testing Office and IELTS (Off-site testing)

5. ELS San Diego and IELTS / San Diego State Univ. (Off-site testing with other existing IELTS test centers)

6. Q & A

www.ielts.org

What is IELTS?

• Four skills test – Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking

• English as an international language

• 2 modules – Academic and General Training

• Pen and paper delivery, face to face Speaking test

• 3 international test partners – Cambridge ESOL, British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia

www.ielts.org

Speaking1:1 oral interview (11-14 minutes)

General Training Writing2 tasks (60 minutes)

General Training Reading3 sections, 40 items (60 minutes)

Academic Writing 2 tasks (60 minutes)

Academic Reading3 sections, 40 items (60 minutes)

Listening4 sections, 40 items (40 minutes)

Test FormatTotal time = 2 hours 55 minutes

www.ielts.org

Scoring

9 Expert User8 Very Good User7 Good User6 Competent User5 Modest User4 Limited User3 Extremely Limited User2 Intermittent User1 Non User0 Did Not Attempt the Test

www.ielts.org

Recognition

• Over 6,000 organizations globally in 135 countries• 3,000 US institutions and programs

• Test Report Form Verification site

• Electronic score downloads

www.ielts.org

Candidature

• over 1,4 million candidates tested globally in 2010

• US candidature:• students applying for graduate and undergraduate study in the US, Britain,

Canada and Australia

• applicants for immigration to Canada and Australia

• healthcare professionals applying to work in US hospitals and for US permanent residency

www.ielts.org

Test centers

•Test locations in 135 countries

•Currently 39 US anchor test centers operating 61 test locations

www.ielts.org

Why become a test center?

• Develop a new income stream - testing at your center and off-site

• Provide professional development opportunities to campus staff

• Open new markets - attract new students to your campus – offer wrap-around products

• Provide a service to your students and the community

 

www.ielts.org

Application Process

• Application form and Web Requirement Guide

• Business case questionnaire

• Site visitCenter access / Security & Storage / Staff /

Test Equipments / Testing rooms / Marketing

• Service Agreement

www.ielts.org

Set up

• Business plan including marketing plan

• Where will the center be housed and managed?

• Provide office and storage space

• Computer with internet, printer, scanner

• Recruit

• IELTS Administrator

• Examiners (Speaking and Writing) from faculty and local schools

• Clerical Markers (Listening and Reading)

• Invigilators

• Free on site training for Administrator, Examiners, Clerical Markers, Invigilators

www.ielts.org

Local test administration• Promoting testing services locally

• Processing and confirming candidate online registrations, including collection of fee

• Reserving test rooms to deliver paper based test and also for face to face Speaking tests

• Marking 4 test papers onsite and issuing results from center

• Providing candidate customer service

• Managing IELTS staff and materials

• Storing applications, test and related materials safely.

www.ielts.org

Revenue

• Breakdown of income and costs / one candidate (FY1011) 

Test fee collected from candidate: $185.00

Less fee remitted to IELTS International: $ -80.00

Less estimated local costs testing one candidate: $ -63.31

Estimated gross total per candidate tested: $ 41.69

www.ielts.org

Becoming an IELTS Center

• Establishing a Service Agreement Between IELTS Inc. and your institution. This is a contractual document that will need to be reviewed and authorized by the Dean, Director or appropriate governing authority at your institution.

• Key obligations of the Service Agreement:– Establish test dates and capacity– Make all the necessary arrangements and meet all

reasonable costs for IELTS test delivery and administration

– Register candidates and collect all test fees

www.ielts.org

Becoming an IELTS Test Center

• Key obligations of the Service Agreement:– Provide all staffing for administration and delivery of the

test (recruiting, hiring, training).– Adhere to the IELTS Code of Practice with particular

reference to the security arrangements– Attend the mandatory IELTS Annual General Meeting

held every 18 months for updates and training.

www.ielts.org

Staffing your IELTS Test Center

• IELTS Administrator: designated staff person who oversees all facets of test delivery and staffing.

• Administrative Staff: personnel who register candidates, respond to inquiries, enter test scores, issue test results

• Clerical Markers: trained to grade the listening and reading answer sheets

• Proctors (Invigilators): if you have an existing proctor pool, they can be trained as IELTS invigilators

www.ielts.org

Staffing your IELTS Test Center

• Examiners: experienced educators with a recognized qualification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

– Recruit from ESL/English Language Programs– Application process includes review by Examiner

Trainer and interview– Induction: general overview of IELTS prior to training– Training: 4 day intensive training program, center to

provide copies of all training materials and meals– Certification: assessment tool for the marking criteria

www.ielts.org

University of Arizona

• IELTS History at UA Testing Center

– Marketing challenges (Location Disadvantage)

– Off-site strategy in Phoenix, Las Cruces and Salt Lake City

– Regional demand for test is still developing

• TOEFL versus IELTS

– TOEFL: Ready-made with a limitation for the test demand

– IELTS: DIY with a flexibility for test demand

• Off-Site Testing

– Extended services to Phoenix

www.ielts.org

ELS Language Centers

Partnership with IELTS to be official Testing Center

oEstablished partnership in 2002

oOn/Off Campus locations

o28 ELS/IELTS Testing Centers

– 10 off-site testing locations

www.ielts.org

San Diego State University Off-Site Testing Agreement

oOffer IELTS exams 3-5 times per year on campus

– Reserve block of seats for ALI students

oHost enrollment sessions

oProvide testing services

oALI - IELTS teachers take IELTS exams for experience

www.ielts.org

San Diego State University

Benefits

• Provide students with more testing options• Increased convenience & comfort for ALI students• Advertising SDSU-ALI to potential students