IELTS candidates from mainland China can no longer take paper test in Hong Kong

Mainland Chinese candidates can no longer take an internationally recognised English-language exam on paper in Hong Kong because of the risks of “fraudulent test-day activity”, organisers have said.

IELTS, a standardised test to assess the English-language proficiency for non-native speakers, recently said exam takers in Hong Kong had to confirm their residency in the city where they were sitting the paper. The policy started on Monday.

Non-permanent residents can still sit the paper test as long as they provide their identity cards.

The British Council, which jointly manages the test with two other institutions, said on Thursday that such a policy applied to most markets, including Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Mongolia, plus several other countries in different regions.

“The analysis by the IELTS partners shows that there is a link between non-resident access to IELTS on paper and fraudulent test-day activity,” a British Council spokeswoman said.

“By limiting the access to residents, much of this risk will be mitigated.”

The council said the new policy was to “enhance the security of the test and to protect IELTS customers from becoming victims of fraud” and it would soon become the standard approach in most markets.