IELTS

[softncool]

I have a few questions hope you guys will be able to help me out:
I applied through SAP in Sep 2006.
Now if I give IELTS with in next 6 months, will it be valid or should I waite till CIC asks me to do so?
Second question is there are two types of IELTS. Academic and General. Which one should be for us?
Last thing is IELTS is conducted by British Council as well as Australian Education (AEO). Which center should we use?

Thanks in advance,
Cool

 

[Libra]

The IELTS results are valid for 1 year.

The completion of the PR application for most Pakistanis is currently 5 and half years or more. Since you are going through SAP, it is NOT likely that your Consular Office will start requesting for your additional documents within a 12-month period.

So, it will be in your own best interest to wait until the Consulate requests that you take the IELTS, and usually when they do, you will be given a time frame within which you should take the test. Currently, the time frame is 120 days or 4 months. So, from now till they request for it, you can always prepare to take the test if you wish.

With regard to your second question: Canadian immigrants should only take the General IELTS Test. The Academic IELTS would be for university applicants.

Lastly, for your country, Pakistan, the IELTS recognizes only 8 centers to conduct the test and yes, both the British Council and the AEO are recognized to conduct the IELTS test in Pakistan.

It is up to you to see whether the British Council Center or the AEO Center is nearer to where you live or easier to get to by transportation. The last link below shows all 8 centers, you can choose which city is feasible for you by using the drop menu for “City.”

Check the following link below, which you can get to from http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx

http://www.ielts.org/searchresults/default.aspx?TestCentreSearchSubRegion=d49ad146-1156-4c1e-96ef-860c3d2a3629

I have a few questions hope you guys will be able to help me out:
I applied through SAP in Sep 2006.
Now if I give IELTS with in next 6 months, will it be valid or should I waite till CIC asks me to do so?
Second question is there are two types of IELTS. Academic and General. Which one should be for us?
Last thing is IELTS is conducted by British Council as well as Australian Education (AEO). Which center should we use?

Thanks in advance,
Cool

 

[softncool]

Hello Libra,
Thanks for proving detailed info.
I have already gone through these links. There was some confusion about general/academic test, which you have cleared.
Still there is a confusion which needs to be addresses. that is validity period of test
It is generally believed that test results are valid for one year. OK
It is also assumed that if you have appeared within one year of your date of application your score remain valid. Say for argument I gave test in Jan 06 and I applied for immigration in Dec 06, since this is within one year, my test result will remain valid.
If you go through op06e.pdf (overseas processing manual) it also says that "Language test results must not be older than ONE Year at the TIME OF APPLICATION"
It means if I sit in test now, my result will remain valid.
Please give your opinion.
Thanks
Cool

 

[Libra]

Hi Softncool,

What that means is that when you submitted your application in September 2006, you should have taken the IELTS test at least 12 months or less prior to submitting your application.

For instance, if you had taken the test in October of 2005, the test would have been valid "at the time of the application" when you submitted it in 2006 - your test would have been 11 months old by September 2006.

But since you did not take the test before or "at the time of [submitting] the application," then it is better for you to wait till they request for it.

Hello Libra,
Thanks for proving detailed info.
I have already gone through these links. There was some confusion about general/academic test, which you have cleared.
Still there is a confusion which needs to be addresses. that is validity period of test
It is generally believed that test results are valid for one year. OK
It is also assumed that if you have appeared within one year of your date of application your score remain valid. Say for argument I gave test in Jan 06 and I applied for immigration in Dec 06, since this is within one year, my test result will remain valid.
If you go through op06e.pdf (overseas processing manual) it also says that "Language test results must not be older than ONE Year at the TIME OF APPLICATION"
It means if I sit in test now, my result will remain valid.
Please give your opinion.
Thanks
Cool

 

[Libra]

It means if I sit in test now, my result will remain valid.
Please give your opinion.
Thanks
Cool

Softncool,

Also, since you are using the SAP, once you submitted your application in September 2006, you are not supposed to contact them until they start requesting for your additional documents, which would include the IELTS if it is required, and if it was not submitted at the time of the initial application.

Quote from CIC: "When the visa office is ready to assess your application, you will be asked to send the required supporting documentation." - (last sentence in the second paragraph from web page following link below).
From: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/skilled-simple.asp

So, if you wish, you can take the IELTS now and have it ready to submit to the Consular when they request for additonal documents in the future - but you would have to hope that they do this by next year at least less than 12 months out from now.