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The British Council are 'investigating' my IELTS result

I am so ****ing LIVID right now

I wont get into university because of these ****ing imbeciles

I got an email today saying my test is under investigtion, the result is being withheld and I KNOW WHY, they investigate your test if you there is a 2 band difference between two parts of the test, I know I scored 8.5 or 9 in Reading and Listening but I got a weird topic in Speaking and didn't know what to say, my responses were quite brief and I only talked for about half a minute in the second part and I am assuming that I probably only got a 5.5 or a 6.0 so they are investigating and what the **** am I supposed to do now, what if I didn't get 6.0 in the speaking part and they release my results in three weeks or something? I am now going to have to retake the test and if I pay for it and I get my result before I even retake the test then that's about 150 quid down the drain, and I need to get my IELTS result before august 31, that's impossible seeing as I cannot take the test and get my results within that time frame nor can I get money to pay for this ******** within that time

Do NOT take the IELTS test, they WILL **** you over and I can't take the TOEFL because there has been some sort of scam going around and my uni no longer accepts it, what if I retake the IELTS and then they decide to withhold my result again? ****ing idiots
(edited 7 years ago)

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Original post by arcenciel21
I am so ****ing LIVID right now

I wont get into university because of these ****ing imbeciles

I got an email today saying my test is under investigtion, the result is being withheld and I KNOW WHY, they investigate your test if you there is a 2 band difference between two parts of the test, I know I scored 8.5 or 9 in Reading and Listening but I got a weird topic in Speaking and didn't know what to say, my responses were quite brief and I only talked for about half a minute in the second part and I am assuming that I probably only got a 5.5 or a 6.0 so they are investigating and what the **** am I supposed to do now, what if I didn't get 6.0 in the speaking part and they release my results in three weeks or something? I am now going to have to retake the test and if I pay for it and I get my result before I even retake the test then that's about 150 quid down the drain, and I need to get my IELTS result before august 31, that's impossible seeing as I cannot take the test and get my results within that time frame nor can I get money to pay for this ******** within that time

Do NOT take the IELTS test, they WILL **** you over and I can't take the TOEFL because there has been some sort of scam going around and my uni no longer accepts it, what if I retake the IELTS and then they decide to withhold my result again? ****ing idiots


So to be clear, the British Council are '****ing clowns' and '****ing imbeciles' because you didn't perform well? And you know that they have to carry out a check in certain circumstances, yet you berate them for doing so? Oh, and I suppose it's the British Council's fault that you didn't take the test earlier?
Reply 2
Original post by ageshallnot
So to be clear, the British Council are '****ing clowns' and '****ing imbeciles' because you didn't perform well? And you know that they have to carry out a check in certain circumstances, yet you berate them for doing so? Oh, and I suppose it's the British Council's fault that you didn't take the test earlier?


Exactly my thoughts.
Original post by ageshallnot
So to be clear, the British Council are '****ing clowns' and '****ing imbeciles' because you didn't perform well?


No, that's not what I said at all.


Original post by ageshallnot

And you know that they have to carry out a check in certain circumstances, yet you berate them for doing so?


No, I don't berate for doing so, but in th mean time they could easily put my results on the online system, since it is only provisional anyway so that I could know what I have to do now. They are complete shits for not putting it online and not telling you how long it is going to take to remark your results other than 'as soon s possible'.


Original post by ageshallnot

Oh, and I suppose it's the British Council's fault that you didn't take the test earlier?


I took the test when I had the MONEY to pay for the test and when I knew I had uni offers.
Reply 4
You're pissed at them for doing something which people know is always a possibility..?
Original post by arcenciel21
No, that's not what I said at all.

No, I don't berate for doing so, but in th mean time they could easily put my results on the online system, since it is only provisional anyway so that I could know what I have to do now. They are complete shits for not putting it online and not telling you how long it is going to take to remark your results other than 'as soon s possible'.

I took the test when I had the MONEY to pay for the test and when I knew I had uni offers.

You can go and PMS somewhere else, thanks


I rest my case.
Reply 6
I also got an email from them saying my results are withheld until they do an investigation, but they have not said what the problem is. They don't provide an estimate on when the results will be ready, a Google search says from 3 weeks to 6 months :frown:

Just called British Council and they say there are a number of reasons and that I should call my examination centre, no one is picking up the phone or replying emails there. It's shocking and i'm really sad for this. I was hoping to talk with them before contacting my admissions tutor.

I got a conditional offer from my uni, which condition was to be successful at IELTS, and now I don't know if I loose the chance of studying my postgraduate on September. What you think?
Reply 7
There could be queries over your test centre as well as your individual performance. Are you in contact with any other candidates who took the tests at the same time? Is this happening to others in your cohort?

The fact that your examination centre has gone silent, doesn't sound good to me.

What was the IELTS score on your offer? If the investigation exonerates you and your centre, would you still meet the offer with your estimated scores?
Original post by guilleUK
I also got an email from them saying my results are withheld until they do an investigation, but they have not said what the problem is. They don't provide an estimate on when the results will be ready, a Google search says from 3 weeks to 6 months :frown:

Just called British Council and they say there are a number of reasons and that I should call my examination centre, no one is picking up the phone or replying emails there. It's shocking and i'm really sad for this. I was hoping to talk with them before contacting my admissions tutor.

I got a conditional offer from my uni, which condition was to be successful at IELTS, and now I don't know if I loose the chance of studying my postgraduate on September. What you think?


I just paid for a Pearson test for later this month. I suggest you go and book one ASP as well because there ar very limited places left, I have to travel 200 miles for this all the way down to Brighton. You receive your results in five business days so even if you take it next week your unis will still receive the results in time.
I emailed my test centre and I was told that they have no further information about why my results are being investigated and they made a point of mentioning that the investigation is in its 'early stages' so it's safe to assume that I won't receive th results by 31 August so whatever. **** them.
Original post by Napp
You're pissed at them for doing something which people know is always a possibility..?


If you ever get robbed on the street or your mom dies in a terrorist attack, dont be pissed because you should've known it was always a possibility. xo
Original post by arcenciel21
If you ever get robbed on the street or your mom dies in a terrorist attack, dont be pissed because you should've known it was always a possibility. xo


mature answer
The won't accept other test than IELTS. Next date available for IELTS is 20 August, in theory results release on 2nd September for that exam. That means paying another £155, but it could also mean my results getting delayed again or me going to uni.
For anyone reading this in future years - this is why universities and the British Council recommend entering yourself for IELTS exams early in April/May/June - that gives you time to resit or rearrange if you don't get the grades or if there are problems with your results.

The requirement to meet conditions by August 31st on UCAS CAN be over-written by universities. If you're likely to get your results in early September then notify your universities ASAP and ask if they can put a hold on your UCAS application to stop you getting rejected by default.
Original post by guilleUK
The won't accept other test than IELTS. Next date available for IELTS is 20 August, in theory results release on 2nd September for that exam. That means paying another £155, but it could also mean my results getting delayed again or me going to uni.


Did they actually tell you that? Is it because of visa rules? That sucks :frown:
Original post by arcenciel21
Did they actually tell you that? Is it because of visa rules? That sucks :frown:


No, I don't need a visa. It's only because my first language is not English.
Reply 15
Original post by arcenciel21
If you ever get robbed on the street or your mom dies in a terrorist attack, dont be pissed because you should've known it was always a possibility. xo


lol.
Original post by guilleUK
I also got an email from them saying my results are withheld until they do an investigation, but they have not said what the problem is. They don't provide an estimate on when the results will be ready, a Google search says from 3 weeks to 6 months :frown:

Just called British Council and they say there are a number of reasons and that I should call my examination centre, no one is picking up the phone or replying emails there. It's shocking and i'm really sad for this. I was hoping to talk with them before contacting my admissions tutor.

I got a conditional offer from my uni, which condition was to be successful at IELTS, and now I don't know if I loose the chance of studying my postgraduate on September. What you think?


Have you heard anything yet? I got my results YESTERDAY, and I booked the Pearson test for today so I ended up not having to go and take the test today, which means that the 150 quid test fees + 70 quid travel costs are down the drain....

The reason my results were withheld is that I got the maximum score in all parts of the exam except the Speaking section, I got 6.5 for that.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by arcenciel21
Have you heard anything yet? I got my results YESTERDAY, and I booked the Pearson test for today so I ended up not having to go and take the test today, which means that the 150 quid test fees + 70 quid travel costs are down the drain....

The reason my results were withheld is that I got the maximum score in all parts of the exam except the Speaking section, I got 6.5 for that.


Yes, i got the results yesterday too. I've learnt that withheld results are almost always released right before the 4th exam date after the date you sit. Doing the calculations, the 4th exam is next Saturday, so this theory was right for us (and for people from 16th of July)

I booked another IELTS for last Saturday, just in case, i had the speaking part today in the afternoon but i did not go as I would have to ask for a favour at work and i preferred not to. The first results were more than enough for uni, So i also flushed some money down the toilet :frown:

The theory of a 2 points gap difference between tests also applies to me, as I scored a shameful 6.5 at writing while doing amazing at the others.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by arcenciel21
I am so ****ing LIVID right now

I wont get into university because of these ****ing imbeciles

I got an email today saying my test is under investigtion, the result is being withheld and I KNOW WHY, they investigate your test if you there is a 2 band difference between two parts of the test, I know I scored 8.5 or 9 in Reading and Listening but I got a weird topic in Speaking and didn't know what to say, my responses were quite brief and I only talked for about half a minute in the second part and I am assuming that I probably only got a 5.5 or a 6.0 so they are investigating and what the **** am I supposed to do now, what if I didn't get 6.0 in the speaking part and they release my results in three weeks or something? I am now going to have to retake the test and if I pay for it and I get my result before I even retake the test then that's about 150 quid down the drain, and I need to get my IELTS result before august 31, that's impossible seeing as I cannot take the test and get my results within that time frame nor can I get money to pay for this ******** within that time

Do NOT take the IELTS test, they WILL **** you over and I can't take the TOEFL because there has been some sort of scam going around and my uni no longer accepts it, what if I retake the IELTS and then they decide to withhold my result again? ****ing idiots



Wouldn't trust British consul as far as I could throw them.

Last year a friend of mine lost his passport in Benidorm while water skiing. He contacted British consul and they said he'd have to go to Madrid to get a new temp passport to get back to Britain at his own expense plus the cost of getting to Madrid.

I mean we are supposed to be in the EU? Other EU nationals don't need passports to go from one EU a country to another.
Original post by Ambitious1999
Wouldn't trust British consul as far as I could throw them.

Last year a friend of mine lost his passport in Benidorm while water skiing. He contacted British consul and they said he'd have to go to Madrid to get a new temp passport to get back to Britain at his own expense plus the cost of getting to Madrid.

I mean we are supposed to be in the EU? Other EU nationals don't need passports to go from one EU a country to another.


You have confused the British Council for the British Consul. They are two very different things.