CEFR (DTM) vs IELTS (Tashkent, UZB)

Why to take both tests?

First I am gonna share with you my CEFR experience, then at the end I have also written questions approximately from today's test. I have IELTS exam on 23 May, will share my experience once I pass it too in my blog https://t.me/ahmadqodirovcom

Let me be honest with you, I failed CEFR C1 with 57% in February, 2018 (Listening 11, Reading 19, Lex and Gram 16, Speaking 20) and could not get certificate. However this time, I felt confident going into the exam as I was consistently scoring high results from IELTS listening at home, and having prepared for more than 5 months plus consistent self-study boosted my confidence. Unfortunately long before my results will be announced I am quite dissatisfied with the CEFR test itself for several reasons.

For the record I retook C1 exam on 6th of May, 2019 and my speaking is on 21st of May.

Listening (The WORST part)

After we were given question booklets, invigilators usually check the quality of audio, in our case they started right away which then lead to a opposition by the majority of test-takers. When one candidate who is about 50 years old protested against it, they wanted to disqualify him, but their surprise almost everyone in hall backed up that man complaining about the quality of audio. Invigilators did not want to do anything, they said that we can appeal and complain after test which rarely help in many circumstances. I was content that many people persisted on making adjustments to enhance quality of audio tracks. Then head of invigilators told us we will do the listening at the end, as they promised to bring so-called expert to fix speakers. Did they fix it? They think yeah, but all candidates surely say it is absolutely wrong, as audio quality still remained rubbish with slight enhancement. Candidates who possessed 8.0 +from IELTS exam did not have any clue what was going on. I was really confident too going into the exam as I got consistently 8+ from IELTS listening over the last 2 weeks, but I had a real trouble trying to understand the content of listening. I remember one of my friend told me that you will likely to fail in CEFR listening even you have 9 in IELTS listening and actually he was right.

One more problem is format of listening test, usually candidates are given time to check their answers once they listened part of listening test in other exams like IELTS. In CEFR exams, you just skip this part and go onto the next section which is crazy.

Lack of Management

As I had expected test started 30 minutes later than, but sometimes candidates waited for more than an hour in bad weather conditions. Last time I got sick as I stood in the rain for about 45 minutes back in 2018. The same thing happened when I took B2 exam, and in my first C1 exam. In other words, punctuality has never been strong point in CEFR exams. Process of checking is very similar to that of entrance exams which take place on 1st of August.

There are some information about the format of the test, types of questions and sections, and mock exam for all types of exams (B1, B2, C1)in official website, www.nsfla.uz. Other than that they have nothing complete which provides candidates to prepare for exam properly and achieve their goals. There is an attempt by Komil Djalilov to provide test preparation for test takers, but it is not enough. Where are the official sources by DTM? Is there any book? No, I guess. Why should they care about it? I guess it is better to let candidates guess and anticipate everything they can expect in test and get shocked in the end.

I don't want to say what DTM is doing is only bad, actually this way of testing is better than entrance level test which checks mainly your grammar. But candidates have paid money, parents are standing in inconvenient weather conditions for hours, and DTM plays key role in education system of Uzbekistan. Why don't hire international assessment experts and teach them how to organize tests of this kind properly? Why not to check equipment that necessary for test beforehand? Why not to give opportunity officials in DTM go abroad and learn how to prepare for big test days of this kind? Why there is no clear guidelines about how to prepare from official sources?

When all these questions are answered, I believe then CEFR (DTM) exams will be accepted not only in Uzbekistan, but in many countries. It is great that many people are employed due to these tests, teachers getting higher pay and students stand better chance at enrolling universities, but all these does not matter if test does not meet international assessment criteria. I believe citizens of Uzbekistan deserve better treatment than this one.

PS: It is theoretically possible to get high scores from Listening, Reading and Lexical and Grammar competence without any knowledge of English, as assessment is very similar to that of entrance level exam where you choose one of the several options. This is insane, even true false and not given questions are changed to a,b,c. The way we answer to questions need to be changed to meet the high standard of testing.

Test questions:

I apologize for any language mistakes I have made in article beforehand, I hope it did not impede your understanding.

Today I have passed C1 exam and here are the questions, I wrote them as much as I could remember. (06.05.2019)

Listening

1. Company Jerkins (radio programme)

2. Alchemist (audiobook)

3. Lecture about supermarket aisle psychology (lecture)

Reading

1. Guy Fawkens (Multiple choice) 

2. Unique house that’s self built for over decade (Matching information) 

3. Shakespeare’s plays and King James (T,F,NG) 

Lexical and Grammar competence

Part 1. Vocab Text is about password entry problems, SSO 

Part 2. Mistakes. Text about ownership and personal success 

Writing 

1. Letter to private business (Organizing charity event for orphanage)

2. Essay, To what extent do you agree or disagree. (Today many parents tend to employ private tutor to teach their children after school hours) 

3. Summary, (Millions of fish have been dying in Australia’s major rivers) (newscientist.com)

I will change my article once I pass speaking again on May 21, 2019.