A few more stray notes about the LANGUAGECERT Academic test before I move on.
(you can read my initial notes over here)
- The test really does feel like a somewhat modernized take on the IELTS Test. A frequent complaint about the IELTS is that it hasn’t changed a lot since the 1990s. One gets the impression that the people behind the LanguageCert product set out to design something very much like the IELTS… but contemporary. Many of the items on this test are broadly similar to those on the IELTS, with small tweaks. Which is fascinating, as most test makers seeking to compete with the IELTS have gone in a wholly different direction. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that LanguageCert is staffed by a lot of ex-IELTS folk.
- Again, I want to emphasize that being able to do a room scan with my phone was pure bliss. It sometimes seems that test makers are not aware of how frigging terrible room scans are. Most people take tests using a built-in laptop camera and must carry their machine around the room to complete a scan of the walls, of the ceiling, of under their desk, under the seat of their chair, inside their desk drawers, etc. And this experience has only gotten more burdensome. I recently related a humorous story of how one test taker was required to open the door to their flat to show the public hallway and elevator to their proctor. I was once required to hoist my heavy office chair to chest level to give my proctor a peek at the bottom. Since I am middle-aged and out of shape, that request left me with a sore lower back for the rest of the afternoon. Needless to say, all of this is easier to do with a phone than with a bulky laptop with peripherals dangling off of it. I urge all test makers to consider implementing a “scan by phone” option. Even if you don’t think it is necessary to require the phone as a secondary camera while the test is in progress, you should consider implementing it as an option for room scans.
- There is so much Australian-accented English on this test that one would think it is a made-in-Australia test. Perhaps the folks at PeopleCert are making a play for visa acceptance in that country. Most tests include a few dudes that sound like Geoffrey Rush and leave it at that. That’s not the case here. The speakers are immediately identifiable as Australian.
- I’ve attached a screenshot to highlight the “NVIDIA Issue” I mentioned in my previous post. Note the three NVIDIA applications that the test software detected. I hit “okay” multiple times with no effect. The software was not able to shut them down and no error message was displayed. I worked around this by shutting down the test software and manually disabling the NVIDIA junk… but by the end of the test, it was running again. I’ve been writing about this potential security issue since 2022. I am convinced that it is the cause of many “unauthorized software detected” cancellations of various test products.
- The second screenshot is from my account following the test. The UI is very nice.
