Franconian Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Hi all, It's so frustrating, I just got my 3rd IELTS result back :arghh: First one was in Sydney: Listening 8 / Reading 8.5 / Writing 7.5 / Speaking 8.5 I was surprised about the positive result being not a native speaker (bloody German), but in order to guarantee my State Sponsorship nomination I need an 8 in each band... (I would have big difficulties writing an essay in German.) Second attempt at British Council Thailand: Listening 7.5 / Reading 8 / Writing 8 / Speaking 8 Section 4 of the listening test was pretty hard to understand it was more academical and sounded like a blah blah blah to me. I am so gutted it failed only by 0.5 (1 or 2 wrong questions) at the listening test... Third one at IDP Malaysia Listening 7.5 / Reading 8.5 / Writing 7 / Speaking 8 It feels like going nowhere and I am about to give up. It always fails at least in one section. In my opinion it depends a bit on luck. All three test have been very different. And especially the Writing and Speaking sections depend on the person marking it. I thought my third Writing test was really good and convinced it would be an 8 instead of 7. Should I try it one last time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegibson Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 You should have got your first writing attempt in Sydney remarked. I got my writing remarked, went from 6.5, upto 7.5 I think it is only the writing and speaking that can go for remark. Do it again, I did it until I cracked it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFW Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Hi, Repeating the same thing over again expecting different results might not be the most effective course of action. You are nearly there, but going from 7.5 to 8 is not really that easy, as you have experienced. What are your options to go in better prepared for your next exam ? Any chance you could pick up a preparation course that caters for more advanced levels ? I am doing such a course now and I must admit there much more to learn than I could imagine. Listening and reading you can improve on your own account. Yet for writing and speaking, you really need to get good in-person feedback in order to improve on those skills. Taking a step back and prepare might be more effective than just re-sitting the test again. Good luck ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george106 Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I can feel your pain, my OH did IELTS 6times already and always fails in one part and she is usually 0.5 point short. This test is so unpredictable and not consistent regarding the difficulty at all. We have submitted last test for remark and hopefully we get 8's in all parts as we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFW Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Unpredictable ? Maybe, But it is language we are talking about, not exact science. You actually can't fail Ielts, you receive a result indicating your English proficiency. There is no pass or fail set by Ielts. In fact, most people seem to be getting similar results when they re-take a test. Unpredictable would mean someone scores band 5 the first time and band 8 in the re-take. such major jumps in results hardly happen. I agree that part of it is luck, a bad day, a small miss that really takes out your listening test, or getting a writing topic that's really not your cup of tea, those can make a difference in your test. That's part of life, must live with it Still, I don't understand people re-taking test after test until they get lucky. (without putting some effort in improving first) Ielts scales zero to proficient on a scale from 0 to 9, then, rightfully so, improving from band 7 to band 8 should not be that easy to do. The results people get from re-taking a test actually confirms Ielts to be reasonable predictable. Not that I am a fan of IELTS, one can question the way the system is commercially exploited, but that is a different discussion I don't want to embark on now. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george106 Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I meant unpredictable as the difficulty varies and you can easily "achieve" different score in each test even though your English level didn't change (I am able to achieve 8.5's in one test and in another just 7's). Also depends who is actually marking your test as there were well documented cases when the person who marked the exam had lower proficiency of English then who took the test and did not understand proper English (after remark there was quite significant mark rise). Everybody who did take this test more than twice would agree difficulty is not consistent and it is more about luck than knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFW Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Hi George106, True enough, part of it is luck, yet variance in the difficulty will be there with type of tests. It also depends on what the person taking the test (doesn't) know. certain topics that are easy for one person would be hard for another and vice versa. That is in the nature of the beast, something we need to live with. Blaming it on IELTS isn't going to help. (however therapeutic it might be) Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmorrison Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 i also agree that part of it is "luck" (dont know if that would be the right word, but sorta), and although a better preparation might be helpful, i definitely dont think it is absolutely necessary... i just went through the same situation a few months ago, i had some trouble getting there, but eventually i did it.. i am from Brazil, btw.. the first time I tried I got: R: 9.0 / L: 8.5 / S: 8.0 / W: 7.5 - this was the first time i ever took the IELTS, without any preparation/study whatsoever... sooo pissed, missed by only 0.5 in only one field the second time was just catastrophic: R: 7.5 / L: 6.5 / S: 7.0 / W: 6.5 - took the exam once again around 18 months later (my occupation wasnt listed back then, so i wasnt in a rush), once again without any preparation... to be honest, i went out of the exam thinking i did great, and the result was so bad that i thought there might be some mistake, that they switched my test with someone elses or something.. but, nothing i could do besides taking it again finally, 3 months later, third time's a charm: R: 9.0 / L: 9.0 / S: 8.5 / W: 8.0 - once again, no preparation whatsoever... and this time i actually went out of there convinced that i had failed the Writing section again, like my first try... i was so hopeless that i didnt even remember to check the results on the day they came out, my girlfriend reminded me a few days later... and there it was, to my pleasant surprise i emphasized the fact that I had no previous preparation or study in any of my attempts, to show that the exam difficulty really does vary from one test to another.. people say that "doing the same thing and expecting different results" is one of the definitions of "being crazy"... but, i guess it works some times, right? i did exactly the same thing all three times, and got VERY different results... since you are so close to the results you need, its a matter of minor details, so I would just keep trying... however i should also point out that your results got a little worse each time you took the test, and since you didnt "unlearn" english, that might be a good indication of some psychological influence (ie nervousness), so maybe your main focus should be keeping a calm and clear head on the test day hope this helps.. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msvayani Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I got the required band in 5th attempt!! So my advice: DO NOT GIVE UP!!! It would be better if you take some time and do enough practices in the areas where you feel less confident. Hi all, It's so frustrating, I just got my 3rd IELTS result back :arghh: First one was in Sydney: Listening 8 / Reading 8.5 / Writing 7.5 / Speaking 8.5 I was surprised about the positive result being not a native speaker (bloody German), but in order to guarantee my State Sponsorship nomination I need an 8 in each band... (I would have big difficulties writing an essay in German.) Second attempt at British Council Thailand: Listening 7.5 / Reading 8 / Writing 8 / Speaking 8 Section 4 of the listening test was pretty hard to understand it was more academical and sounded like a blah blah blah to me. I am so gutted it failed only by 0.5 (1 or 2 wrong questions) at the listening test... Third one at IDP Malaysia Listening 7.5 / Reading 8.5 / Writing 7 / Speaking 8 It feels like going nowhere and I am about to give up. It always fails at least in one section. In my opinion it depends a bit on luck. All three test have been very different. And especially the Writing and Speaking sections depend on the person marking it. I thought my third Writing test was really good and convinced it would be an 8 instead of 7. Should I try it one last time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plutology Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 which state and occupation are you going for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devon67 Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 good luck i wish you all the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie C Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 ARGH!!! I feel your pain and that totally sucks. I had the exact same scenerio- missing the band 8 by half a point. BUT I finally got it! I actually got my 189 visa approved yesterday (HOORAY!!) so don't give up hope!!! As a result of my frustration on the IELTS I created a website especially for people like me and you- Good luck. http://www.ieltsband8.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Sizer Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Ok guys get this, I have done a full degree in Australia. Took 3 years, prior to that, due to not being in education for 12 years I had to do an international foundation course. This bridges you to the University course. So in total I have spent 4 years doing education in Australia. I passed my degree then progressed onto a Temporary Graduate Visa (485). My current visa runs out at the end of October. This is were it gets interesting. I have now sat the IELTS test twice and time is running out. I have scored straight 9.0's on all the sections appart from writing. Both times I have scored a 6.5. I revised for the test but both times got a 6.5??? I have passed numerous university exams (in Australia), numerous English exams in Australia and numerous English exams at school. I work for the Australian State Government and write complex reports everyday. To add insult to injury I also work in Regional NSW. By the way did I mention that I was born in England and have spent only 34 years (my age) in English native speaking countries. IELTS needs a ICAC (Google it) investigation. I have missed my EOI window now and will have to go back to England to obtain employment. I really do not want to quit my job in Australia as I love it. IELTS have ruined my life. I am currently on track to go back to England jobless, houseless and because I haven't been there for 5 years my credit rating will be shot to **** and this is all down to missing out because of a half mark on a IELTS test. IELTS need to be investigated there is no other way about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I can understand your frustration and irritation at having to go through IELTs. But if your writing format and use of language used in your post, is in any way similar to your IELTS written exam, I am not surprised you are having problems. Can you make a request for your written test to be re-marked? It would seem a shame to have to come back to the UK for the sake of half a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 IELTS is a revenue gathering exercise. Three are alternative test in the pipeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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