The IELTS One Skill Retake is a new feature that gives candidates a second chance to improve their IELTS scores in one of the four tested skills.
The need for the IELTS One Skill Retake
Nowadays, having a good IELTS score is essential for immigration, education and finding work opportunities abroad. Many countries have benchmark language test scores that must be met by prospective immigrants before they can work, study or live in the country.
Given the high stakes of this test, candidates can feel overwhelmed by the pressure and fail to perform to the best of their abilities.
The IELTS One Skill Retake gives such candidates a second chance to show their full potential.
What is the IELTS test?
The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, is an English language proficiency test widely used for immigration to English-speaking countries for higher studies and work. The test is recognized in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, and the USA.
The test comes in two forms- the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Training. The former is tailor-made to test a candidate’s ability to study and process instruction in English for academic purposes.
The IELTS General Training tests English usage in a general sense without focusing solely on academics. In the Canadian context, candidates need an IELTS General Training score when applying for permanent residency.
Categories under the IELTS test
Candidates are tested on four skills:
- Listening– Candidates answer questions based on audio recordings of native English speakers
- Speaking– Candidates will be required to engage in an informal conversation with an examiner
- Reading – Candidates answer questions after reading from a text or passage
- Writing – Candidates will be required to write an essay or answer descriptively
How many ways can you take the IELTS test?
The IELTS test can be taken on paper or on a computer.
Using the IELTS One Skill Retake feature
The One Skill Retake is only open to candidates who recently completed a full IELTS test at a centre offering the IELTS One Skill Retake.
Once candidates receive their Test results, they can book a One Skill Retake for any of the four skills they want to improve. This Retake must be booked and completed within 60 days of the original test.
Upon completing the Retake, a candidate receives a new Test report form with updated scores from their One Skill Retake and the three other skills. Candidates can use this new score or stick to the original score.
Can you take the IELTS One Skill Retake multiple times?
No, candidates only have a single Retake for every full IELTS test.
Availability of the IELTS One Skill Retake
According to the IELTS website, the feature is currently being launched in Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand and Uganda, with new countries to be added over the remainder of 2023.
Why the IELTS One Skill Retake is a game changer
The One Skill Retake helps candidates make the most of every attempt without the need to book a new IELTS test. A candidate who performs poorly in the listening section can book a One Skill Retake and not have to reappear for the other three.
This new One Skill Retake also heavily favours candidates, allowing the talented to maximize their scores. At the same time, weaker candidates are also helped by only having to focus on a single Skill on their Retake.
On top of that, the Retake will save candidates a lot of time and money that would have otherwise gone into paying for an entirely new test.
