What is it?

IELTS has until recently been a paper-based and face-to-face exam. We now see more centres offering the computer-delivered version of IELTS though that still involves facing an examiner across a table in the Speaking Test. 

Video-Call Speaking (VCS) is now being introduced in certain test centres alongside the traditional speaking test format. Candidates still have to go to the test centre venue but will talk to an examiner through a zoom video link. The examiner is remote; the test taker is not. 

Why is it being promoted?

Covid-19 has obviously been a key factor but VCS is not simply a response to it. Over the last ten years or so, the various bodies that organize IELTS (Cambridge Assessment English, the British Council, IDP and IELTS Australia) have been working on the idea of making IELTS more available by offering the test to candidates living in remote areas or in conflict zones. The events since early 2020 have helped speed up this process. The cancellation of exams has led to a backlog of test-takers in 2021 as centres begin to open up again. 

Examiners, all experienced in traditional in-person interviews, will be testing from their own homes as long as their equipment for doing so is up to standard. They will be organized regionally to thus avoid problems with time zones. Examiners might have interviews with candidates from the country where they are based or from neighbouring countries. 

Is it coming near you soon?

That’s hard to say. The British Council and IDP have carried out trials mainly in centres located in China and India and are now gradually including VCS at some centres in Asia with the plan to extend its reach worldwide. Source

 

How is it different to the in-person IELTS interview?

Let’s think for a moment about the regular speaking test.

The test taker arrives at the test centre and goes through a brief registration process which basically involves checking identification and leaving all personal possessions such as mobile phones with the IELTS invigilator staff for the duration of the test. The test taker then waits to be called into the exam room by the examiner, is invited in, is asked to sit and the test begins. The test is standardized and there’s so much practice material available that you know what to expect. 

Those involved in VCS claim that the switch to a remote link with the examiner makes no difference. Yes, there will be some minor changes in the way the test is administered but, and this they say is the most important point, neither the content of the test nor the interaction between examiner and the test taker will be affected. Let’s look at that in more detail and decide for ourselves. 

What really happens in a VCS interview?

The VCS interview takes place in what they call a secure or controlled environment. Let’s take a look at what happens before, during and after the test. 

Before: 

After checks identification, the candidate is taken to an exam room and sat in front of a screen. The invigilator logs the test taker in and he or she is provided with headphones and a video connection using Zoom with the examiner is established by first ensuring everything is in perfect working order by testing volume levels and checking that the examiner will be able to see the test taker clearly. Your ID must be left on the desk for the duration of the test. 

It’s worth pointing out that the test taker has no control whatsoever over volume or any other controls. Also, test takers are also asked to keep their hands on the table during the test and not to pick up or play around with the pencil and paper provided for the Part 2 long turn in other parts of the exam to avoid any noise interference. 

During:

When it’s all set up, the invigilator leaves the room and the exam st...