Every time the Australian media covers issues with English language tests for immigration, it seems to follow a predictable pattern: they turn to Indian migrants or Indian YouTubers who have built businesses around selling the Australian immigration dream. Yet in doing so, they often miss the deeper issues—systemic problems and exploitative practices within the testing system itself.
Take, for example, the recent ABC story on English language tests “Migrants Raise Concerns About English Tests for Immigrants“. Like many before it, it focuses only on complaints from individuals within the Indian diaspora—many of whom, it must be said, have access to more privileged migration pathways and whose communities have, in some ways, benefited from the way tests like PTE are tailored to their needs. Pearson’s test, in particular, is designed with large-volume markets in mind, and by the numbers, Indian applicants have one of the highest success rates.
The expert interviewed (besides a random Professor of Economics whose expertise in immigration is confusing, although his university, Curtain, is embroiled in some fake students scandals) was an Indian Youtuber who makes a living promoting immigration to Australia. Not a single non-Indian even mentioned.
Meanwhile, voices from other migrant communities—especially from South America or Europe—are largely ignored. These are individuals who have lived and worked in Australia for years, often in critical industries like healthcare, education, and engineering. Many have spent thousands of dollars improving their English through formal study here, only to find themselves blocked by the writing component of IELTS, which is often marked overseas and inconsistently assessed.
In contrast, most Indian migrants expect to pass their English tests in India, providing no benefit to the Australian education industry, and often arrive with English scores in IELTS and PTE much higher than their actual usability. Constantly I hear other migrants complain about how Indians are let in with poor English but they have to spend years taking tests.
I’ve seen countless examples: candidates from Europe, South America, Africa and other parts of Asia who score 8 or 9 in speaking, listening, and reading, but can’t meet the writing requirement—despite being fully integrated into the Australian workforce. These are not inexperienced newcomers; they are professionals who have lived here for over a decade in lower-tier jobs, struggling to pass a test that is, arguably, not fit for purpose. Many give up or leave the country altogether.
Ironically, or perhaps not, the IELTS writing test is often marked in India! When it is marked by an Australian and when it is marked by an India, we don’t know. As a former IELTS examiner who worked in India, I can tell you the scoring is very different (see my previous blog about inconsistencies in IELTS marking). Students are left with confusion, there Australian boss is happy with their writing and I no longer feel I can give any advice because the method of marking in Australian and India are vastly different.
Contrast this with some students from the “Big Three” source countries—India, Nepal, and China—who take a short VET course in a field they have no intention of entering, secure a visa, and then work in entirely unrelated roles. Some even go on to game the system further by working for relatives or driving rideshare vehicles.
The ABC’s recent article also criticized the two-year expiration of English test results, implying it’s unfair to migrants. But dig a little deeper—outside the well-trodden Indian narrative—and you’d find the reason behind this: premeditated misuse of the test system in large-volume markets. As an IELTS examiner in India in 2017, I encountered countless Indian candidates who had been in Australia for years, initially secured a visa with a suspiciously high score, and then couldn’t replicate that performance when required to retake the test. Some even returned to India to retake it, where test centers are more lenient or compromised.
The retake policy, while burdensome, actually discourages fraudulent practices and encourages genuine immersion. Those who engage with the broader community, outside their monocultural bubbles, improve their English naturally. I’ve coached students in Sydney who couldn’t re-pass IELTS—many of them simply went to Canada, a country now facing its own issues with immigration fraud and test manipulation, particularly from the same demographics.
A few years ago, IELTS reading was seen as the biggest hurdle. Now it’s the writing test. PTE, too, is under scrutiny—not because it improves English skills, but because many training centers teach students how to beat the AI scoring system without genuine improvement.
Australian media needs to shift its focus. Instead of giving airtime to well-connected YouTubers or those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, we should be highlighting the real cost of flawed English testing policy: the doctors, nurses, engineers, and teachers Australia has lost because they couldn’t meet arbitrary writing test criteria—despite being fluent, capable professionals who have already proven their value.
And let’s correct another false narrative: the ABC story asked why Indians have to take an English test while people from the UK, Ireland, or Canada don’t. This is misleading. Immigration authorities do require proof of English, and this doesn’t always come in the form of a passport. I’ve taught a British-born Sudanese student with a UK passport who was still required to prove his English ability—because he completed his schooling outside the UK. It’s not as simple as nationality.
So, what explains this narrow coverage? Is it lazy journalism? A lack of research? Or is it that the Indian diaspora has become so large and influential that the media defaults to the most vocal, visible group?
Whatever the reason, it’s time for a broader, more honest conversation about English language testing in Australia. That means going beyond the surface, beyond the sob stories, and beyond the easy narratives—and actually investigating the real systemic flaws, and the many talented migrants our country is losing because of them.
Further links (it’s very difficult to find anything in the Australian media on language tests without Indians as the focus):
Harleen had to sit tests ‘on repeat’ to study in Australia. It’s about to get harder
Scams shattering Indian students’ dreams of studying in Australia
The ‘traumatic’ experience of learning English and succeeding in IELTS
However, this article I did find the SBS website a few months ago, and I found it refreshing. And the migrant is not an Indian!!
Migrants with higher English proficiency scores find jobs – and friends
IELTS & PTE TUTORING & COSULTANCY 
Leave a comment