British Council IELTS Prizes open for application

Thursday 05 March 2015

Ten British Council IELTS Prizes open to students in Hong Kong and East Asia region for application

Students who are planning to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies locally or overseas in the school year commencing in 2015 should look no further to the British Council IELTS prize. This year, the top ten students from Hong Kong and the East Asia region[1] will be awarded prizes as tuition fee subsidy. These students will join the other 20 winning students who are studying or have completed their studies at their dream universities in different countries including the UK, USA, and Germany since the launch of the IELTS prize in 2011. The top five students in the East Asia region will each receive a prize valued at GBP12,000; while the top five local students will each receive a prize worth HKD25,000.

‘The British Council first extended the IELTS prize to the East Asia region in 2014, awarding students from South Korea, Thailand and Myanmar to pursue their study in the UK and Germany to celebrate the 25th anniversary of IELTS. We were thrilled to receive a vast amount of positive responses, and are committed to award students with high motivation to achieve career goals and contribute to the society,’ said Greg Selby, Director of Examinations British Council, East Asia. ‘IELTS has played a key role in language testing for education purposes throughout its 25 year history, with its recognition by more than 9,000 organisations around the world. In 2014, more than 2.5 million IELTS tests were taken in more than 140 countries. This is a significant milestone for IELTS and I believe that it will continue to help more people realise their aspirations and access to international educational opportunities.'

2014 IELTS scholarship winner Myranda Lai Wun Chi, who is now a student of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge for the BA (Honours) programme shared her experience of studying in the UK, ‘I am grateful for this opportunity to study in the UK which has broadened my horizons and I am always thrilled to learn about the culture and history of the UK. I am thankful for the support from the IELTS prize which has helped making my dream of studying abroad a reality.’

Applications for the IELTS Prize 2015 is open to candidates currently living in Hong Kong and Macau who will begin undergraduate or postgraduate study abroad in 2015, and will attend a higher education institution that accepts IELTS as part of its admission requirements. Also, applicants will have to hold a minimum band score of 6 in each of the four component parts of the test, which the score should be obtained from the British Council on or 1 June 2014 and be able to provide an acceptance letter from the attending institution by 30 June 2015. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2015.

As an IELTS official test centre, the British Council provides full support in preparing students to take IELTS examinations, including a 30-hour free online training programme for registered students as well as access to different preparation materials. Furthermore, test sessions are organised three times a month, giving students flexibility.

[1] The East Asia region includes Hong Kong/Macau, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

Notes to Editor

About International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System, the world’s most popular English language proficiency test with two million tests taken in the last year. Over 9,000 organizations trust and accept IELTS as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true to life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. As an international English proficiency test, more than 2.5 million IELTS tests were taken in 2014 in more than 140 countries.

About the test

Candidates are tested in listening, reading, writing and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest possible band score).

IELTS offers a choice of two versions, to serve both academic and non-academic purposes. IELTS Academic module measures English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment. The tasks and texts are accessible to all test-takers, irrespective of their subject focus. IELTS General Training module measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. The tasks and texts reflect both workplace and social situations. The General Training module is suitable for immigration purposes to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.

We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes. In Hong Kong, we have been doing this since 1948, giving people opportunities to learn, share and connect worldwide.

We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A core publicly-funded grant provides 20 per cent of our turnover which last year was £864 million. The rest of our revenues are earned from services which customers around the world pay for, such as English classes and taking UK examinations, and also through education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. All our work is in pursuit of our charitable purpose and supports prosperity and security for the UK and globally.

For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org. You can also keep in touch with the British Council through http://blog.britishcouncil.org/. To learn more about British Council in Hong Kong, please visit www.britishcouncil.hk and www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilHK.