Four students in Singapore win 2017 British Council IELTS Prize to pursue their dreams of studying overseas

Wednesday 02 August 2017

3 top students in East Asia win Regional IELTS Prize

02 August 2017 (Singapore) – Studying overseas has been a dream for many students in Singapore. With an aim to connect people with learning opportunities, the British Council launched the IELTS Prize in 2011. Since then, it has supported a total of 170 students in the East Asia region in entering universities worldwide. This year, 36 prize winners would be added to the list. The award presentation ceremony in Singapore was held at British Council Napier Road Centre on 02 August 2017. Each of the local prize winners received a prize valued at SGD 4,000. In addition to the local awards, the British Council also awarded three regional prizes to top students in the East Asia region, who will be entering their dream universities overseas to pursue further education.

Nicholas Tan, Regional Second Prize winner from Singapore, received multiple offers from UK universities and thinks that IELTS enabled him to accomplish his goals and embark on new challenges, “Winning the IELTS Prize has been a great help to my ambitions of going to graduate school, and it has put me a step closer towards working in the field of international policy. I hope to use the Prize to further my education in a wide range of topics, but it is also my aim to use this opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures, and engage with new points of view.”

Darrion Mohan, one of the Local Prize winners said “the IELTS Prize will help cover most of the daily expenses associated with living and studying in the UK. It will also provide me with the financial wherewithal to enrol in extracurricular enrichment programmes that will enhance my undergraduate experience.”

“As an international English proficiency test, IELTS has grown its popularity with over 2.9 million of tests taken in 2016, and is now recognised by over 10,000 organisations, including universities, employers and immigration authorities worldwide.” said Greg Selby, Director Examinations, Examinations Services, East Asia. “We are pleased that our wide international acceptance and the IELTS Prize are helping more students in East Asia to pursue further study overseas.”

As an IELTS official test centre, the British Council provides full support in preparing students in taking the IELTS test, including Road to IELTS, specially designed online practice materials for registered students, and the access to different preparation materials. Furthermore, test sessions are organised at least three times a month, which give students flexibility for the most suitable sessions. For more details, please visit www.ieltsasia.org/sg/ieltsprize

Notes to Editor

Media Contacts:

Serene Lim (Assistant Marketing Manager, Examinations)
Tel: 6470 7185
Email: Serene.Lim@britishcouncil.org.sg

Abraham Cheah (Examinations Business and Partnerships Manager)
Tel: 6470 7208
Email: Abraham.Cheah@britishcouncil.org.sg

About the British Council

(1) 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 10,000 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.

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.

(2) About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. 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 7,000 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.

We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A core publically-funded grant-in-aid provides less than 25 per cent of our turnover, which last year was £781m. The rest of our revenues are earned from services which customers around the world pay for, 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.