Nurses Don't Need IELTS

By Alon Calinao Dy: Nurses worldwide don't need IELTS. English subject has become part of compulsory curriculum since early childhood education. I think nurses don't need to take IELTS exam anymore. Employers should understand the stressful situations of nurses.

It's been years since nurses are expending too much time, effort, and money for this IELTS exam. It's frustrating because if you're going to compare it to nursing qualifying exams, IELTS will be part of your life. Unlike in nursing, once you've passed the test, you're not going to take it again. I think it's better if IELTS would set a passing score just like any other exams. At least, everything is clear.

As you can see the situation now, for instance, in the Philippines, looking for a decent standard of living is very difficult. I mean the salary of ordinary nurses cannot send their children to school. And even those nurses who have high positions in private and government hospitals, they've admitted their salary is not enough for them. Thus, they must work overtime or really hard in order to compensate the needs of their families.


Here are 5 possible reasons why nurses don't need IELTS:

1. Illegal recruiters take advantage of the IELTS.

You have to be very cautious when dealing with illegal recruiters. At the beginning, these people would require you to take IELTS. If they've found out you've not taken the test yet, they would recommend you to some people they know, who make you believe you'd be successful in IELTS . Perhaps, they'd advise a good review center or sell you IELTS materials. The worst part is, they'd take large amounts of money from you and tell you that they personally know the examiner. In this case, you're in big trouble because you'll not get your money back. My best piece of advice, stay away from these kinds of people. Of course, nobody wants to fall into this trap.

2. Taking IELTS is a waste of money, effort, and time.

Nurses are busy as bees. I mean, you've to find enough time preparing for IELTS and at the same time applying nursing jobs abroad. Okay, let's say for example, Canada needs 100 nurses, but you have to meet band score of 7 in all sections. Do you think after you pass the exam you'll get the job that you desire? Do you think your IELTS will not expire because it has only 2 years validity? Think about that. Of course, competition for jobs is high among nurses. So, most probably those who have long experience and ex-abroad nurses are more likely to get a job compared to newly graduate nurses.

3. IELTS is giving too much pressure to nurses.

It's my opinion that learning must be fun without any pressure. Instead of motivating IELTS candidates to prepare well before going for the actual exam, IELTS, seems to me, instills fears in the hearts of examinees. They've set high standards, especially in the speaking part. Just a reminder, we're not native English people. Of course, the way we pronounce a word might be different from the locals, just as the way native English speakers articulate our own language. But we don't laugh at them. Instead, we deeply understand.

4. IELTS is business as usual.

Paying for an IELTS exam is very expensive. As what I have said above, it has an expiration date. This validity period will expire before you're lucky to find a job. After two years, you'll take another IELTS test. It doesn't make sense to me. Why are you going to take the exam if you've already taken it? I smell a rat. I mean, in my point of view, it's not quite right to spend another one's hard-earned money. Therefore, I think it's a moneymaking organization.

5. IELTS doesn't guarantee total success in English.

I believe the best way to learn English is constant practice or exposure to the language. I mean employers from Western countries should give foreign nurses opportunities to work within their regions. In this way, expats will learn the language more easily for they have the chance to interact with good English speakers than sitting the IELTS test. Let's admit, the demand for nurses is going to grow in the coming years. Why don't we help each other? Nurses don't need IELTS exam. I'm sure most nurses around the world will be happy.