The PIE just published a useful summary of the ownership structure of the IELTS test. It can sometimes be tricky to wrap one’s head around the ownership of the test, which is shared, equally, between Cambridge English, the British Council (both non-profit organizations) and IDP Education (an Australian for-profit). Making things even trickier is the fact that the latter two parties compete with each other to deliver the test in some (but not all) markets. One might predict friction between these parties, but they seem to get along pretty well.
As the PIE points out, the British Council may be “the logical choice” to develop the new English test that the Home Office has put out a tender for (currently referred to as the “HOELT” test). This makes sense considering their worldwide network of testing centers, and IELTS’s current status as a market leader. But since Cambridge is responsible for the design, development and validity research of IELTS test items, perhaps a more likely front-runner is a new partnership between that organization and the British Council. Note also that the tender seems to invite separate bids for the development and delivery of the test, but how that would work in reality isn’t immediately clear.
That said, a question that comes to mind is whether an IELTS-ish test is even desirable. Is it safe to assume that this is what the Home Office is seeking?
Here’s a bit from a review of the IELTS by John Read published in Language Testing back in 2022:
“As its recent history shows, IELTS has been successful in incorporating technical innovations in the delivery of the test and in a whole range of back-office functions that support the industrial scale of its operations. However, in its adherence to design principles dating from the 1980s, it has proven resistant to any fundamental re-thinking of the construct of academic language proficiency in the light of current concerns in the field, such as the renewed focus on integrated tasks, the importance of assessing interactional competence, the value of diagnostic feedback, and the diversity of academic literacies. Although there are numerous IELTS-funded studies by external researchers suggesting ways in which [the] test could be enhanced, there is no sign of an integrated programme of renewal of the test.”
Keep in mind that the review isn’t all bad. But needless to say, a test like the IELTS has pros and cons.
If the Home Office is seeking a more modern approach to testing, perhaps there is an opportunity for a firm already known for producing such products. That’s a big “if,” of course, but it is worth considering.
