An overwhelming number of more than 1,500 people gathered at the Institute for Management Studies (IMS) in Thimphu to register for IELTS, the English language proficiency test. The registration came as a huge relief, particularly for young Bhutanese who have waited long to travel abroad for work and study. The IMS and Royal Institute of Management suspended the conduct of IELTS in early 2020 due to the pandemic.
Today, the institute has registered 800 people to sit for the test on three dates next month.
People, mostly young, who came to register and refused to talk on camera said conducting the IELTS exam inside the country comes as a huge relief. During the COVID situation, some Bhutanese have even travelled to India to sit for the test.
Currently, the institute charges Nu 17,500 for the test. Post-COVID, although the institute conducted a similar test last week, it could take in only 300 individuals.
“Actually, during the pandemic time, the conduct of the IELTS test was not possible because the examiners had to be brought from India. We collaborate with IDP in India, an Australian company based in India. Our role is just to administer the test but examiners and all the other human resources will have to be brought from India,” said Tshering Dorji, the Academic and Training Director at the IMS.
The institute started conducting IELTS in 2013.
Meanwhile, the Royal Institute of Management at Simtokha, another test centre in the country also plans to conduct IELTS towards the end of May in collaboration with the British Council in Bangladesh.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Phub Gyem
