Why I have taken international English exams 5 times


Last December I took my fifth international exam in English. “Why do you take exams?” is a question I get asked a lot. In this post, I want to answer this question.

First, my exam history:
2011 IELTS 8.5
2013 IELTS 8.5
2013 TOEFL 115
2016 IELTS 9
2018 C2 Proficiency A (CPE)

So what is this madness for?

1. I want to get an independent assessment of my English.

I think my own assessment of my skills is less credible or reliable than an internationally recognized certificate with the C2 English level on it. Additionally, having my level assessed by strangers helps me identify my weaknesses and get a clear picture of what I am good or bad at.

2. I want to see if I can perform under pressure.

To be brutally honest, I know my language skills are good even without taking any tests. But I see value in testing myself in high-pressure situations.

Many people underperform in exams because of exam nerves. It’s normal. But the way I see it is if I have great language skills and get low scores because of exam nerves, I can only perform in low-pressure situations, which is a limit to what I can do. If I get high scores in exams, I can perform in both high- and low-pressure situations, which means there are fewer limits to what I can do in English.

3. I want to be able to showcase my high level of English on a regular basis.

All of us know full well that language skills are prone to going rusty. I want my exam history to show that mine remain in good shape over years.

A 10-year-old exam result, however high, is not an indicator of the person’s current level, even if it is technically valid. I don’t understand teachers who cling to the endless validity of the Cambridge exams. It’s a formality that has no bearing on skills. Let’s think about it this way. Let’s imagine you take IELTS and then CAE immediately after that. Let’s say you get equivalent scores. Then you stop doing anything in English whatsoever. In two years you will find yourself with one valid and one outdated certificate. So what? What about your skills? Your language skills will be completely rusty or even dead, regardless of either certificate. For teachers, validity is a technicality.

I think it’s a good idea for teachers to take any exam every 2-3 years because it is about the amount of time that renders language skills rusty.

4. I want to be living proof that my techniques work.

There are teachers who teach exams without having taken them or with very low scores. The question on my mind is always, “How do these teachers know that what they teach works?” I practice what I preach. I do the things I teach in exams and get high scores, which indicates they work. Since I teach for a living, I find it imperative to be able to prove that with actions, rather than words.

Once I posted my sample C2 Proficiency writing task 1 and invited everyone to comment on it. One person did. I didn’t know them so I started interrogating them about their qualifications. The person hadn’t taken any international exams, so I said in all candor, “No offense, but I take what you say with a grain of salt as you haven't taken any international tests.” I don't want my students to think that.

5. I want to know every single thing about exam procedures.

Small things like bathroom breaks or feeling hungry are almost impossible to know without taking the test. I have gone through the exact same experience my students will, so I know exactly what difficulties they will face and how to overcome them. As a result, I can give my students better advice and be a better exam trainer.

6. I want to be able to do more.

Even though international exams check more or less the same skills, there are still some differences. I want to train myself to do as many different tasks as possible to be a better teacher and non-native speaker of English.

Having taken IELTS, I know I can describe line graphs. Having taken TOEFL, I know I can do integrated speaking and writing tasks. Having taken CPE, I know I can do pair-work speaking and write film reviews. I want to be able to do more in English than just follow course books. I believe both me and my students benefit from that.

Five times might seem like enough. But not to me. I still have some exam-related goals and curiosities. I find myself tempted to take the computer-based versions of IELTS and C2 Proficiency. I have yet to figure out how to get a 9 for IELTS writing (so far my writing score is 8.5 in two last attempts). GRE is another exam challenge I keep in mind. The exam-taking madness is unlikely to stop.

Do my reasons sound valid? Are exams worth taking on a regular basis? Do you take exams? Do you expect your teachers to?

Image credit: Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

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