IELTS/TSE: Which one is better?

[knok]

IELTS/TSE

1. Speaking Module:

• For IELTS, an interviewer will ask you questions. You can clarify the questions when you don’t understand any of them.
• For IELTS, you will receive an evaluation in details explaining about your delivery but that is not going to happen in TSE.
• Even though you have a real interview, there is tape recorder to record your delivery. Then, 2-3 raters(not sure) will listen to your tape again during grading your delivery.
• You will feel more comfortable to talk with human being than tape recorder. The interviewer has rapport section at the beginning of the interview.
• You got time to think. You are more flexible with time in a real interview with IELTS than that of TSE.
• The raters can see your appearance and your non-verbal communication (your facial expression, body language, incorporating with your tone of voice when you speak). This is important for communication in workplaces in a real world. Vice versa, we can see and interpret both verbal communication and non-verbal communication of an interviewer.
• IELTS speaking module provides two ways communication. It is more realistic than TSE.
• The technical problem of IELTS is less than that of TSE. In several cases, there were technical problems occurring during telephone line transmission and tape recording system during sessions of recording TSE. The TSE raters themselves have difficulties interpreting the tape from poor tape recording.
• IELTS will be graded on the content which is reasonable for high-educational level candidates. When we communicate to people, what we expect is what the answer content will be.
• For TSE, ironically, if you read from graph analysis topic carefully, the accuracy of the content of the graph is not graded. I wonder if you try to convey the message to your co-workers and the content is not important, what do you want to hear from a presentation? Is it such a stupid and unrealistic exam, insulting the candidates who are taking the exam? The objective of TSE is to measure the abilities of how well you speak English in academic environment, isn’t it? People in academic environment consider accuracy as the important aspect of their daily lives.
• IELTS will not put you with 20 test takers and force you to speak at the same time as TSE did.

For other portions of IELTS, I heard that they were harder than TOEFL. However, that is not the problem for many of us.


If you have alternatives, why don’t you choose IELTS?

From my statistics; I have many friends taking IELTS and TSE. A majority of them got Ph.D. or master degrees in the US schools. They all have difficulties passing the TSE even though they worked and studied in the United States for over 6 years. Some of them stayed and worked in the US for over 10 years. They all passed IELTS with decent scores within 1-2 times of taking IELTS.

Don’t waste your time taking TSE if you have other options.

Last night, one of my fillipino friends living in CA called me that she already passed the speaking section of IELTS with score band of 7 on her first attempt after keeping getting 35, or 45 on TSE for 6 times. She needs to improve on reading section since she did not have time to prepare for the reading section. When she got 35 on TSE, she was so nervous that she hung up the phone after question 5.

A majority of TSE test takers have concentration difficulties during being asked to role-play in different characters and respond to different topics in 15 minutes.

Test abilities are considered to be extremely important to TSE success.

More importantly, when IELTS raters graded the speaking tests, in my opinion, they are not likely to grade the test by phone as TSE raters can do.


For those of you who have alternatives, please do not jeopardize your future careers by making the wrong choice. My friend kept telling me last night, "I should not waste time taking TSE. Oh! my god."

Here is the web site for IELTS

http://www.ielts.org/library/article8.aspx

Here is an article showing the drawbacks of TSE which was written and published in Canada. Please read carefully. You will get an idea and be better prepared with this strange TSE.

http://www.utpjournals.com/product/cmlr/582/Test-3.html


Knok

[elias]

Hi knok, I took my TSE last Jan 15 while waiting fot the result I decided to take IELTS.Luckily thiers still set available when I inquire for this months .I dont have much time for the preparation but Im trying to catch up ideas from my TSE.
Hope for the best this coming thursday Jan 27 in Davie, Fl.

Many thanks for all your information shared to us.

[knok]

Elias,

In listening part, please also pay attention to the spelling. Reading in IELTS is harder.

You will make it. Believe me!

Lazyme,

Could you please share your opinions both IELTS and TSE? Thank you. I am sorry to miss your call. I'll call you back tonight.

Knok

[elias]

Hi Knok,

I definitely agree with your suggestion on IELTS.It's quiet easy compared to TSE and careful on tricks along the way when it comes to reading.
I'm very comfortable with the place and the persons who conducted the exam.
Nova University is the place in Davie, Florida and I enjoy the ride in the Jungle queen.Finally got home .........

[FloridaMedTech]

HI elias,
Just like you, I am considering to to take the IELTS after wasting so much time on TSE. That Test is really frustating, I decided to give up and will try my luck on this alternate route. i may take the test on March 7,i have not signed up yet because i am still waitng for the Tse rescoring request for my Dec,2004. Please give me a feedback on your IELTS experience. By the way, how did you prepare for the test? Thank you in advance. whereabouts in Florida do you live? My family and I live in Central Florida. Regards.
FMT

[knok]

Good to hear that Elias. Let us know how much you get from the IELTS. Another contrast thing about the ETS and the IELTS is that the customer service representatives of IELTS are so nice and polite. They are more pleasant. ETS is really arrogant.

In my opinion, ETS should spin off the TSE. I guess that the ETS does not pay attention to the TSE since it is a really small product when compared to the TOEFL and the GMAT.

I can say that ETS management made a really big mistake by combining the TOEFL and the TSE together. Let's see. The format of the TSE was conducted by tape recording system 17 years ago. Right now, after a lot of complaints and research, it is still the same.

Knok

[elias]

To FL MedTech,

Im not from FL I just flew to have the exam. What I did since I dont have much time on preparation I attend the 3 hour workshop but it could cost you 99$ but Im not recommending it.What we did is just a few discussion of sample test , it helps a little but its up to you. I stay in Bestwestern Hotel 89/day plus tax 9.79 walking distance from test center but you could ask the shuttle to take you to place its free, or you can stay to homestead 65/day but you need to bring your car.We started with listening and reading and 10 minutes break to start again the writing. Scheduled interview on the afternoon.Im not sure with my answer specially on reading the questions are confusing.

[anelia]

Could you clarify what means "If you have alternatives, take IELTS instead of TSE"?
I am a pharmacist and ..Do I have a choice? Because as long as I know for pharmacists TSE is requirable and IELTS is not a matter of choice.I took TSE 2 times and unsuccessfully of course-45 scores .And if there is a possibility of taking IELTS, not TSE, please send me some links where I can check this information.Thanks

[knok]

Anelia,

I am sorry that we don't have choice. What we are trying to do now is giving real information to State Boards of Pharmacy and NABP. State Boards of Pharmacy have control over pharmacists in their own states. We contacted NABP. It is not enough.

State Boards must know what is going on with TSE. If each state board does not require FPGEE certificate, then NABP will not need to issue FPGEE certificate and then requirement of TSE for FPGEE certificate will be voided finally.

Finally, I believe that only the best product can be survived in the market.
Cheer!

Good Luck.

Knok