The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will, from early 2022, allow students and skilled workers who plan to migrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom from Nigeria and any part of the world to take the test “from their own home or another suitable location”.
The development was made known in a statement titled ‘IELTS announces at-home testing option’ on Tuesday.
According to the examination body, the test would no longer be restricted to the current physical assessment after ‘IELTS Online’ begins in 2022.
The statement said the online version would cover all four skills of IELTS Academic, namely Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, adding that it would also have the same rigorous assessment by trained and human examiners.
“The test will have the same content and format as the existing pen-and-paper and computer-delivered IELTS tests. This includes a real-time face-to-face speaking test, delivered online by trained IELTS examiners.”
It also quoted Christine Nuttall, Managing Director IELTS at Cambridge Assessment English, as saying, “IELTS Online is the next step in enhancing the test taker experience around the world. It will give test takers greater flexibility in taking the IELTS test. It will also mean faster results for test takers, as validated results will be available as soon as three days after the test. By making the world’s leading test available online, we aim to empower even more people to take IELTS and follow their ambitions.
“In developing IELTS Online, we are bringing all the existing benefits of IELTS for test-takers and recognising organisations,” Nuttall said, adding, “IELTS Online will provide flexibility and confidence, using cutting edge AI and state-of-the-art security features to complement the expertise of IELTS examiners.”
Thousand of Nigerians have sat the test over the years with the sole aim of migrating overseas for university education and work. The test cost over 70,000 per time and expires after 24 months.