Hello Reader,

Exams make mistakes. I came across this article today on the BBC and wanted to share it with you.

Impact?

The article goes on to say that of those 62,794, roughly a third of them - 20,600 actually got higher scores when their first results were recalculated due to the error.

Those affected? According to the article, the vast majority were international students. And amazingly, only 1108 of the incorrectly scored exams were "U.K. visa related" and resulted in just 4 people having their immigration processes negatively impacted -which they 'magically' were able to resolve by taking the exam again.

That number feels awfully low to me. I'm not trying to say IELTS is holding back information, but at least here in Canada, it feels like if the same error were to happen, the results would skew heavily towards negatively impacting immigration outcomes.

The real impact?

The article is pretty much focused on reporting the facts. The numbers, and the fines. The exam regulator points to people being, "... let down by systemic failures over a long period ..."

That's a flat response, isn't it? The folks impacted by these mistakes are real people, not just a number on a page or computer screen. They weren't just 'let down.' Their lives were likely turned upside down and inside out with stress, anxiety, with some having their immigration pathway disrupted.

While IELTS issued refunds and offered retakes to those impacted, that's simply doing 'the right thing.'

I know you know this, but exams like the IELTS and CELPIP are high stakes. People's immigration futures depend on the results, which I think is incredibly unfair - you could get everything right everywhere else in your immigration journey, but be held back by a number on an exam that may or may not be accurate? That doesn't seem right. (I won't write what I really think because I don't use those words in public.)

I do think you should have strong English skills to thrive here in Canada. And I do think it's a good move to use language skill as a filter in the immigration process, but I sure wish there was a better way to do it.

What do you think?

Takeaways for you and your CELPIP prep

• Don't blindly trust AI If you're using AI to practice, let this story be a strong reminder for you: AI makes mistakes. Don't just take what it tells you as being true. Want to dig a little deeper on this? Here's a podcast episode for you on the topic: Is AI really helping you prepare for the CELPIP?​
• Reevaluate: If you get a lower than anticipated score, don't be afraid to ask for reevaluation. It might not help you, but then again, I know several people who have gotten their target score by asking for a second look at their exam. And we know for sure that tests make mistakes!
• Know your level before exam day I think this one matters a lot. Know your current level of English before you take the CELPIP. (Here's a podcast episode about that.) Remember: the CELPIP isn't a regular exam that rewards study. It measures, hopefully, your current level of English. If you need a 9 or a 10 on the CELPIP, you have to ALREADY have a strong upper intermediate to advanced level of English. (B2 - C1 on the CEFR scale.) Check that out first so you know what to expect on your exam day.

Those where some of my takeaways, but I'd love to know what you think - has the CELPIP made mistakes in your process?

One more thing

Need some human help getting ready for your exam? I would love to work with you.​

Have a great weekend,

Aaron