Breaking Australian immigration news brought to you by Migration Alliance and associated bloggers.
Here's a look at two other great options for Australian visa applicants:
ETS:
ETS-MEDIA-RELEASE---GETTING-TO-WORK-IN-AUSTRALIA-JUST-GOT-EASIER---241114.pdf
PTE Academic
Pearson-Test-of-English-Press-Release-23-NOVEMBER-2014.pdf
It's the end of an era for IELTS.
Honestly, speaking IELTS Australia does not have a vision and it is going in the way of mobile phone company Nokia & Blackberry. IELTS exam centers in Australia are one of the worst test centers. Exam days and the test centre ambience can be compared to a torture center run by ‘Jundas’ in the world. Speaking examiners are mostly rude and who never even give a smile to the applicants. Listening modules were earlier conducted in the beginning of the test however; recently it has changed after writing and reading. When candidates enter the exam they have fresh mind and their ability to listen may be higher. Their anxiety levels increase after the reading and writing tasks so people can miserably fail for the listening tasks which are conducted at the end of the test. Exam centers are used for the propaganda of their student visa counseling and visa assistance. However; in the whole Australia they have two registered migration agents. People are paying for the exam and not for listening the advertisements. Exam centres are very uncomfortable, people constantly coughing, making noises etc. I have been told by a female candidate that she had to wait a lot for changing her sanitary napkin because there was a big queue in front of the toilet and she was getting distressed. The whole tests sessions were found to be very distressful which leads to poor score for the candidates. Candidates were not even allowed to wear a simple cardigan and for the exams because the assessors felt it can lead to cheating. The temperature inside the test room fluctuates and some people do feel cold. Without any sweater or jacket it is hard for them to concentrate on their exam as they keep feeling cold. IELTS is not an exam where anyone can take some chits and copy anything. An element of racism and prejudice is also there. People should be treated with respect and courtesy. IELTS is an utter failure and it does not measure the English language ability.
The candidate who fears backlash does not complaint against IELTS Australia. If IELTS Australia does not have a proper self assessment then they will go the way of Nokia and Blackberry. IELTS Australia does not listen to the needs of their customers and those organizations that are arrogant and egoistic will end up as a big failure.