Kempy Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi all, we are going for a PR 175 visa and I always assessed myself as having proficient English and thereby granting me 25 points which I need to get the 120...but it appears that I need to sit the IELTs test in order to qualify for the top points. (A passport / education / etc only gives 15.) Many thanks, Kempy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi all, we are going for a PR 175 visa and I always assessed myself as having proficient English and thereby granting me 25 points which I need to get the 120...but it appears that I need to sit the IELTs test in order to qualify for the top points. (A passport / education / etc only gives 15.) This seems crazy to me as I teach English in a secondary school, have lived in England all my life and have three English degrees up to MA level. I have emailed the immigration people in Adelaide who just cut and copied something useless from the website which didn't answer my question. I had asked whether my Teaching Skills Assessment will automatically give me the 25 points? I am really hoping one of you guys might know? I also called the London office and over 8 minutes (£8!!) they didnt know as it was a 'processing issue'.:no: Many thanks, Kempy I can only say that my mate is a vocational teacher,has degrees,mba is it? etc etc, and he has family in perth,regardless of all this he had to sit the english test for the extra pts. obviously cant comment on how you stand kempy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks for letting me know! It is MAD! I wouldnt mind so much if it was free. Without it I am only on 115 points so best get myself to the test centre... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks for letting me know! It is MAD! I wouldnt mind so much if it was free. Without it I am only on 115 points so best get myself to the test centre... He was in the same boat,5pts short,he still cant get over it,lol! he's still fuming that a humble bricky like me gets 10 more pts than a vocational teacher! he hasnt exactly said that in words,but all the looks of disgust when he reads the pts for occupations list says it all:biglaugh:,you would think it was my fault. i agree though,it IS unbelievable,its a hassle but will be worth it in the end,good luck anyway mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ozcans Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi Kempy I think Pablo is right. If it's about points then you'll need to do the test to get them!!! Bloody brickies!!! Good luck Sue x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest seank Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi Kempy, yes you do have to sit the test (and score 7 or above in each element) to get the full 25 points. They only credit native english speakers with 15 points - which is generous of them when you consider the general standard of speech in the UK now! See any premiership footballer or youth TV presenter and I rest my case!! regards Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest purplewitch Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I did mine in Feb, and stupidly booked myself in for the wrong one, you have the academic one and the general one. I booked myself in for the academic one which is slightly harder I still scored 8.5 out of 9 on it though prepare yourself for a long boring day you do a written, listening reading and oral exam, IMO the reading was the hardest it costs around £100, but well worth it if its the only way you can get the extra points, results come back a week later so not long to wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi KempyI think Pablo is right. If it's about points then you'll need to do the test to get them!!! Bloody brickies!!! Good luck Sue x Also sue at the time i applied i think you get extra points for work record etc,think thats changed now,i'd still rather be a teacher btw:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ozcans Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Good idea, Pablo. Couldn't you teach bricklaying?? Sue x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Travelling Nomad Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Was in the same boat so changed to a 176 visa where the points required were only 100. Problem is not many states still offering teaching for sponsorship. I think it is only the northern territories still offering.May be wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Good idea, Pablo.Couldn't you teach bricklaying?? Sue x $66 an hour i seen the other day for teaching bricklaying in oz btw, nah , i'd have to do away with me trowel with the spinning handle and get a proper one:biglaugh:,the kids would do me ead in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it would be licence after licence sue,cba!no i'l just struggle on and moan about hating bricklaying all the time:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi Kempy Welcome to Poms in Oz. In the short term, I'd say grin and bear it with the IELTS. I see from your profile that you are interested in Sydney/Melbourne. Are you a Secondary School Teacher? If so it is on the Critical Skills List as you probably know. I'm inclined to say keep an eye on the VIC 176 List as well, just in case it comes on to that. It might. Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi all, we are going for a PR 175 visa and I always assessed myself as having proficient English and thereby granting me 25 points which I need to get the 120...but it appears that I need to sit the IELTs test in order to qualify for the top points. (A passport / education / etc only gives 15.) This seems crazy to me as I teach English in a secondary school, have lived in England all my life and have three English degrees up to MA level. I have emailed the immigration people in Adelaide who just cut and copied something useless from the website which didn't answer my question. I had asked whether my Teaching Skills Assessment will automatically give me the 25 points? I am really hoping one of you guys might know? I also called the London office and over 8 minutes (£8!!) they didnt know as it was a 'processing issue'.:no: Many thanks, Kempy To be awarded the points you must sit IELTS and achieve a grade score of at least 7 on every sub-test. Sit the General Training Module. Preparation is the name of the game. Next year all registered migration agents will have to sit the Academic Module - I was a teacher for many years and I am a published novelist (The Visa) and I have more degrees than a thermometer. So what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks for the help everyone - sooooo much more helpful that the 'official' people! I will get myself sorted for the test. God, I hope I pass! Ha! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tim marshall Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 It was a hard exam , at aston uni last year took nearly 6 hrs , very strict , think i was woried more than i should have been, its a reading righting listening and talking test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest purplewitch Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 It was a hard exam , at aston uni last year took nearly 6 hrs , very strict , think i was woried more than i should have been, its a reading righting listening and talking test. It only takes 6 hours due to there being 4 parts to it, some of the time you are just sitting around waiting for the next part, especially the oral bit, but they tend to do it by distance, if you live further away you get to go in first. Id say you have nothing at all to worry about, its not difficult, you can have a few practice gos before handd on line, just google ielts practice tests and it will bring them up for you. If you book your test, provided you have a reference number you can still log you visa application by post, but if you are logging your visa by internet you have to have sat your test. They do tend to get booked up really quickly so well worth getting it doen assoon as poss if you want to lodge your visa by May. It is done under strict exam conditions I got myself really worked up about it before hand, but honestly it was really easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 It only takes 6 hours due to there being 4 parts to it, some of the time you are just sitting around waiting for the next part, especially the oral bit, but they tend to do it by distance, if you live further away you get to go in first. Id say you have nothing at all to worry about, its not difficult, you can have a few practice gos before handd on line, just google ielts practice tests and it will bring them up for you. If you book your test, provided you have a reference number you can still log you visa application by post, but if you are logging your visa by internet you have to have sat your test. They do tend to get booked up really quickly so well worth getting it doen assoon as poss if you want to lodge your visa by May. It is done under strict exam conditions I got myself really worked up about it before hand, but honestly it was really easy If you are going to to obtain IELTS review material, pay for it. I can recommend: IELTS - Adams & Austen Press - Test Your English Do not rely on outdated and possibly copyright-breaching internet downloads. By the way: IELTS is a poorly constructed test concocted by little people who are trying to show how very clever they are. It tests a candidate's ability to perform under test conditions and people who do not have good examination technique often do not score as well as they should have. Westly Russell It is quite possible for people who are teaching at tertiary level in Australia to 'fail' IELTS >>> EVERY time computer engineer Faisal Shaikh failed his English test -- as he did four times -- James Packer was a little richer. Mr Packer is the non-executive chairman of a company that profits each time someone sits the sole English language proficiency test for visa applicants accepted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. The International English Language Testing System is the most widely used English language proficiency test in the world. But migration agents say Immigration guidelines mean most people fail it at least once, forcing them to sit for it again, for another $280. "The problem is that you generally have to get a score of at least six out of nine in each of four bands -- reading, writing, speaking and listening," said migration agent Mark Glazbrook. While universities permit test candidates to average out their results, as long as they reach a minimum score of six, the department refuses to allow visa applicants do so. "This is nice for IELTS as it means that more people are required to re-sit the test," Mr Glazbrook said. More than 100,000 visa applicants a year sit for the IELTS test, he said. Reportedly worth $250million a year globally, the test is owned by IELTS Australia, the British Council and Cambridge University. IELTS Australia is owned by IDP Education, a company jointly owned by 38 Australian universities and Seek, the online employment outfit in which Mr Packer has an interest. IELTS did not set a pass or fail mark, a spokesman said. "Each organisation using the IELTS test sets the level to meet their individual requirements." Alex Barthel, director of the academic language and learning unit at the University of Technology Sydney, said: "The IELTS test gives a fairly accurate measurement at a particular point in time ... and , as far as I know, does this relatively more accurately and consistently than other major language tests which rely more on multiple choice answers." That was not the experience of Mohammed Qasam, 30, who did a degree in banking and finance in Jordan, his homeland, using English-language text books. A masters student in accounting at UTS, Mr Qasam lectures in the subject at the Macquarie Institute. But when he sat the IELTS test, his scores in reading and writing fluctuated each time he did it. "There's not enough time to read," he said in fluent English. Sydney migration agent Jonathan Granger agreed that the test was proving difficult. "Ninety per cent of all the clients I've lodged a visa application for haven't got the required score -- and this includes postgraduates," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 101126 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thanks for the help everyone - sooooo much more helpful that the 'official' people! I will get myself sorted for the test. God, I hope I pass! Ha! :rolleyes: Hi Kempy Good luck luck with the tests should you end up doing them. I must express my surprise that a secondary school teacher could make such a simple spelling error as you have, I thought everyone knew that there is only one 'o' in 'so'. It's no wonder that people moan about teaching standards these days:wink:. Good luck, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ozcans Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi Kempy The best advice is to do past papers. Get books from your library. I think IELTS examiners would forgive you that little spelling errrorrr!!!! Sue x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest purplewitch Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I wouldnt pay for the practice tests at all................ They are going to be different to what you get on the day BUT willgive you a good idea of what to expect, and as OP is obv an intelligent person, and a teacher to boot, I dont think she wil have any prolems passing it at all, I passed the academic one with a score of 8.5, and Im not the most intelligent person in the world (a lowly hairdresser LOL) so Im pretty sure that going online getting an idea of whats expected is all she is going to need. Prior to sitting my test I got loads of advice of other people who had already doneit and they all said pretty much the same thing, so long as you have an idea what you are doing you wont have much of a problem, may be different if English isnt your first language but in OPs case she is a teacher in an English school so I assume her English is going to be pretty damn good. paying for practice tests is just wasting more money IMO, this journey costs enough as it is. Unless of course its you selling the practice tests that is............:eek: OP I have assumed you are a lady........ apologies if you are Not LOL One word of advice....... take plenty of sharp pencils....... as for most of the tests have to be completed in pencil and not pen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thanks, useful to know that you can lodge your visa by post if you have a reference number. I applied for the 18th April so hoping I get the results back before May so we can go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 I think lots of exams test your ability to pass the exam and not any real intellect! It is a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ozcans Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I think lots of exams test your ability to pass the exam and not any real intellect! It is a shame. Absolutely spot on. And the IELTS test is a perfect example! Sue x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest purplewitch Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thanks, useful to know that you can lodge your visa by post if you have a reference number. I applied for the 18th April so hoping I get the results back before May so we can go for it. kempy I sat my test on the saturday and received my results on the following saturday, and think that is standard practice. Honestl dont get yourself worked up about it, I must admit I was a nervous wreck when I did mine and had just come down with pluerisy too, so was in total agony. the listening is so easy, you need to remember its also aimed at people who english isnt a first language so everything is said VERRRRYYYYYY SLLLOOOOWWLLYY... LOL, which gives you plenty of time to write your answers down the reading is different for academic and general, in the academic its 2 seperate tests, which you read through and answer questions on, The written is different for the academic and general, in the academis you have to write 2 essays on ebased on information taken from graphs and pie charts, in the general its easier one of them is writing a basic letter The oral is the same for both academic and general and I just basically chatted with the examiner about my favourite places and why Iiked them Both tests cost the same and both are scored the same so you would get the same amount of points for either. So not much benefit in doing the harder one like I did LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kempy Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 Thanks again, I shouldn't be nervous at all as I bloody teach English but I do think some exams can throw people when they are nervous and I am because it is so important to pass. If I don't, we can't apply for the 175 visa we want. So, yeah, it is a lot of pressure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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