The journey of an insider.

Dissatisfied with my first attempt, I decided to retake the IELTS On-Skills (OSR) test.

Candidates take a practice speaking skills test via computer with a foreigner.

Although I have the opportunity to improve my IELTS score without retaking all four skills, I'm still worried because there's a possibility my score might remain unchanged or even decrease.

Retake the exam because there's a chance to improve your score.

Compared to my first IELTS exam in October, the retake of the speaking section in early December was somewhat easier because I only needed to prepare for the speaking part, instead of studying all four skills. However, during the two months of preparation, I practiced speaking almost continuously, even on topics I wasn't interested in, leading to feelings of boredom during each practice session.

Overall, the process of retaking an IELTS Speaking skill (OSR) is almost the same as retaking all four skills, differing only in the registration process and the lower fee. Otherwise, the entire process, from arriving at the test center to completing the registration and taking the test, is the same as the first time. And less than two days after the retake, I received my results via email. Alongside my old score report, I also received a new score report, including my retake speaking score and the scores for the other three skills from my first attempt.

I only needed to increase my score by 0.5 in one skill on the retake to meet the requirement, and that's how I reached my goal. OSR helped me improve my score in that particular skill, and my overall score in general.

Similarly, recognizing the potential for a higher score, Ms. Vo Thuc Phuong, Director and Founder of Roomie Study Language Center (Ho Chi Minh City), retook the speaking test in May. "Because I was only 0.125 points short of achieving an 8.0 IELTS score, I chose to take the OSR test to improve my overall score and save costs. I chose the speaking test because I made some mistakes in my first attempt, such as stumbling over words and feeling nervous," Ms. Phuong said.

After retaking the test, Ms. Phuong scored 7.5 in the speaking skill and achieved an 8.0 in the IELTS exam.

To prepare for the retake of the speaking skills test, Ms. Phuong said she only reviewed what she had already learned instead of adding new knowledge. Ms. Phuong added: "The day before the test, I did things that made me feel relaxed, like watching movies and shows in English, like The Ellen Show . On the day of the test, I imagined myself as the character and the judge as Ellen DeGeneres, which helped me speak more comfortably."

Ho Thanh Thao, an English language student at Ton Duc Thang University, scored 7.5 on her retake of the reading section, thus increasing her IELTS score to 7.5 from her initial score of 7.0. Thao chose to retake the reading test because she "can master this test better."

"For example, in the listening section, the audio recording is played only once, requiring candidates to concentrate intensely and react quickly; moreover, the speaking speed in the IELTS listening test is quite fast, making it easy to miss important information. Meanwhile, I can be more proactive when doing the reading skills section, such as adjusting my reading speed and rereading difficult passages," Thảo shared.

Candidates take a computer-based IELTS practice test to familiarize themselves with the exam environment.

What is the best way to improve your IELTS score?

Ms. Pham Nguyen Quynh Anh, Academic Director at The IELTS Workshop, advises candidates to retake a skill if they haven't achieved their desired score, specifically if the score for the skill they want to retake is 0.5-1.0 point lower, or if their IELTS score is 0.5 point lower than their target or ability.

According to Ms. Quynh Anh, a Master's degree holder, candidates who score 1.5 points lower than their target in any skill should think carefully or consider retaking all four skills. "Studies on IELTS show that with a normal study frequency of about 2 hours/day, it takes 3 months for learners to increase their score by 0.5 point in any skill; while those who dedicate more time to studying can increase it by 1.0 point. Meanwhile, the allowed time to retake the test is 60 days. Increasing a score of 1.5 points in any skill in 2 months is challenging," Ms. Quynh Anh stated.

Meanwhile, Master Khuu Hoang Nhat Minh, CEO of Minh Khuu Academy and an IELTS test preparation expert in Ho Chi Minh City, suggests that for speaking and writing skills, candidates should consider requesting a review before retaking a skill.

"Before the review, candidates should present their performance on the exam day to their teacher and ask for their assessment of the possibility of improving their score. Candidates should only retake the exam if the teacher suggests that a score increase is not possible from the review, or if they have already reviewed and their score has not improved," shared Master Minh. According to Master Minh, results for listening and reading skills are usually less prone to errors, so if the scores for these skills are not as desired, candidates can choose to retake the exam.

Candidates interact with experts at the IELTS fair in March.

Furthermore, regarding the submission of retake exam results for a skill, Master Minh noted: "Some universities around the world still do not accept OSR exam results. Candidates need to check this information on the official website of the university they wish to apply to before submitting retake results. In addition, candidates should also consider the cost."

Things you need to know about the IELTS skill retake feature.

IELTS One Skill Retake, or OSR, is a feature that allows candidates to retake a skill. It was first launched in Australia in late 2022 and became popular worldwide in 2023. In Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training approved this feature and allowed the organizations co-owning the IELTS exam in Vietnam to implement it from April. The OSR exam fee is 2,940,000 VND.

According to the IELTS co-owners, after completing the OSR test, candidates will receive a new test result form showing information about the skill they retook, along with the new result for that skill and the results for the three previous skills from their first attempt. This new test result form will take 3-5 days to receive, similar to the time it takes to receive results if you choose to take the IELTS computer-based test.

To register for the OSR test, candidates must meet all three requirements: having taken the test at a testing center that provides OSR services; having taken all four skills tests in the computer-based format and received official results; and registering for the OSR feature within 60 days of their first test attempt. Candidates are also only allowed to retake the test once; they cannot retake four different skills four times.

Jade Dragon

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-lai-mot-ky-nang-ielts-hanh-trinh-cua-nguoi-trong-cuoc-185241216073638249.htm