Coronavirus: British Council resumes IELTS testing in Dubai
Comes after a prolonged lay-off due to coronavirus closures
Dubai: The British Council has resumed IELTS testing in Dubai from Saturday, June 6. This comes on the back of local health authority and government guidance and will see the testing centres adhere to a number of health and safety precautions to protect both staff and candidates.
Test takers and staff should not attend the test if they are under a quarantine, self-quarantine, stay-at-home or medical surveillance order, as specified by the Dubai government. They will also not be able to attend if they have a high temperature, persistent cough, difficulty breathing or other flu-like symptoms.
Precautionary measures in place include temperature screening at the test venue, ensuring staff and test takers always stay two metres apart, and the use of face masks, which must be worn by both staff and candidates.
Speaking ahead of the reopening, Chris Rawlings. Regional Director Middle East and North Africa, British Council, said: “Our top priority is the health and safety of both our candidates and staff, and we’ve adjusted our operations in Dubai to meet the recommended government guidelines.
“We have carried out an intensive risk assessment and have considered how social distancing measures can be adhered to, ensuring there is additional cleaning and hygiene facilities in place to minimise the risk of contamination. These precautions will be continuously kept under review and we will remain vigilant to the developing Coronavirus situation.
“This has been a challenging time for many of our IELTS candidates and we look forward to again being part of their learning journey.”
For candidates not ready to take their IELTS test, the British Council is also offering several free resources. These include the IELTS Counselling service, where students are assigned a free personal counsellor throughout the learning journey. This provides students with a tailored study plan, a wealth of British Council study resources and feedback through regular calls and check-ins.
Registered test takers can also avail of the Road to IELTS - British Council’s most popular online preparation courses - which provides resources including advice and tutorials, 100 interactive activities and two practice tests for each of the four skills - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
For those looking to complete their IELTS test online, they can also try out the free online computer-delivered IELTS familiarisation test ahead of the real examination.
Candidates wishing to book their IELTS test or find out more information can visit: www.britishcouncil.ae