A recent post on the LinkedIn recruitment platform by a senior career counselor from the prestigious school in Islamabad (Pakistan) The City School has attracted much attention, warning about the increase in IELTS score buying and selling services.

The gap between test scores and actual ability

Pakistan has one of the largest English-speaking populations in the world , thanks to its colonial legacy and large population. However, having to meet strict language requirements with an IELTS score of 6.0-7.0 has created a lot of pressure for students wanting to study abroad.

“The main reason for IELTS score falsification is the involvement of fraudulent study abroad companies that promise to help students achieve higher scores through fake documents and ‘test-taking’ services,” explained Kousar Sharif, director of Nextage Institute IELTS and Coaching Center in Lahore, Pakistan.

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Increasing IELTS score trading services in Pakistan. Illustration photo: Upgrad Global Study Partners

“These students often face pressure to meet language requirements and choose to cheat rather than improve their English skills. As a result, when they study abroad, their actual ability is often very weak, revealing a gap between their declared test results and their actual language ability.”

Mr. Sharif also revealed that some companies charge up to PKR 700,000 (about VND 63.9 million) for a fake 6.0 score. In some cases, candidates are even taken to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to take the speaking test to make it easier to cheat, according to The PIE News .

Exploiting system vulnerabilities

This problem is further exacerbated by the emergence of “managed tests,” in which study abroad companies assist students through impersonation or other means to achieve high scores.

“The tampered exams were conducted using fake people to sit the exam online, bypassing security measures, especially in the LRW (Listening, Reading, Writing) sections. That is why manyeducational institutions that now require centre-based exams have introduced additional measures such as secondary cameras during online exams to improve security,” said Dr Osamah Qureshi, Director of Education Ireland.

Meanwhile, an IDP official in Pakistan said that paper-based IELTS exams are more vulnerable to manipulation. “Test materials are often leaked from unknown sources, sometimes the night before the exam. This happens because of the time zone difference, as exams start earlier in some areas. Answer keys can be accessed and shared in Pakistan before the exam takes place here.”

This person also said that there was a case where a consultant had access to the answers of all exam days, helping to cheat on the scores of 350 students.

Punjab province, which includes cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Multan, has become a hotspot for IELTS cheating in Pakistan. The manipulation of fake scores can cost up to PKR 1.7 million per student (about VND 155.4 million).

Although IDP and other certification bodies have taken stricter measures to combat cheating, the problem persists.

“The sale of IELTS results or Test Results Reports is a serious crime. We will work with authorities around the world to take the strongest possible action against individuals who falsify IELTS scores or deceive students,” an IDP spokesperson said.

Reports of IELTS cheating are not limited to Pakistan. The problem is also widespread in India. Authorities in the state of Gujarat have found nearly 1,000 candidates cheating to get high IELTS scores. In the state of Punjab, many students have fallen victim to online scams that promise certificates without taking an exam.

Such incidents not only damage the reputation of South Asian students but also increase their risk of being denied a student visa.

Female student arrested for taking IELTS exam for someone else, many prestigious universities review foreign language certificates INDONESIA - The scandal related to IELTS exam for someone else has caused many prestigious universities around the world to review foreign language certificates and review admission policies.