The average score of IELTS Thai test-takers is in a band of 6 (the full band score is 9), almost equal to the mean performance of test takers globally, the British Council Thailand says.
The overall score of test takers in Cambodia is 5.8, Vietnam 6.1, Hong Kong 6.6 and Malaysia 6.9. In terms of the four modules, Thai test takers perform well in receptive skills (listening and reading), while expressive skills (speaking and writing) remain weak.
Helga Stellmacher, director of the British Council Thailand, said the number of IELTS tests taken from April 2021–March 2022 is about 35,000, down from the pre-pandemic trend of 45,000.
"This recovery can be seen as a good sign of Thais pursuing international education and professional experience both in their country and abroad," she said, adding the organisation aims to foster trust, connections and opportunities.
For test-takers in the rest of the country, the British Council is in the process of expanding services to cover increasing demand nationwide.
In the meantime, test-takers can take paper-based exams in seven other provinces: Chiang Mai, Phuket, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani.
Similarly, the British Council is stepping up its efforts to bring the new IELTS on Computer Test to Bangkok, as it strives to be the one-stop service provider for English-language learning, study abroad programmes in the UK, and standardised English examinations.
Steve Adams, director of examinations in East-Asia at the British Council, said the company noticed a gradual change in test-takers' preferences after IELTS on Computer was introduced in Thailand in 2018, shifting from paper-based IELTS to computer-based IELTS, now at a ratio of about 60:40.
"The change is presumably from the computer-based benefits as it's designed to respond to today's lifestyle, as it is available to take seven days a week, and gets faster results," Mr Adams said, adding IELTS Online allowing people to take a test from home will be launched in the near future.
However, since the pandemic struck, most universities, especially in the UK, have also been willing to accept exam and assessment results from Duolingo, a free app that allows users to take English tests, measuring their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
Mr Adams said it's up to universities what kind of tests they want to accept. Still, IELTS remains the international standard.
People measured with a variety of IELTS band scores are internationally accepted, while Duolingo's test measures are vague.