{"id":1709108,"date":"2018-11-29T13:28:12","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T13:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.staging.ieltsadvantage.com\/?p=1709108"},"modified":"2022-02-03T18:19:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T18:19:25","slug":"how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spot an IELTS Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px auto;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_9tPo7l3b38A\"><div id=\"lyte_9tPo7l3b38A\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F9tPo7l3b38A%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/9tPo7l3b38A\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F9tPo7l3b38A%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px auto;\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Millions of people take the IELTS exam every year, many of whom choose an online course or teacher to help with their preparation.<\/p>\n<p>This means that deciding which IELTS course or tutor to choose has never been more difficult.<\/p>\n<p>The reason for this is simple: online IELTS teachers are not regulated.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, the demand from desperate students seeking help for their IELTS exam has resulted in an increase in scammers pretending to teach IELTS \u2013 many of which haven\u2019t taken the IELTS test before themselves!<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, thousands of hard-working test-takers have wasted their money on poor-quality materials and damaged their chances of getting a good score in the exam. This article will show you exactly how to spot such dishonest companies \u00a0\u2013 also known as scams.<\/p>\n<p>I should make it clear now that I do not have the capacity to help everyone pass the IELTS exam. However, I\u00a0<strong>can<\/strong> help prevent you from wasting your time, money and effort using a fraudulent online course or teacher. This will make it much easier for you to identify courses or tutors that you know can help you get the score you need in the IELTS test.<\/p>\n<h3>H<strong>ow can I tell if a course can help me? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3>Feedback<\/h3>\n<p>An effective IELTS course shows you the exact weaknesses that will cost you marks in the exam. IELTS examiners mark you down for specific reasons related to your own mistakes.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, getting professional feedback on your exam skills is essential to serious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/ielts-preparation\/\">IELTS preparation<\/a>. To make sure that you aren\u2019t getting scammed, you must ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Will I receive feedback?<\/li>\n<li>Will the feedback be general or specific to my work?<\/li>\n<li>Can the feedback help me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is important to note that generalised feedback you receive from a paid course is most likely not worth your money. This is because sharing generalised advice with countless other IELTS pupils will only help you to a certain extent.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t know exactly where you\u2019re going wrong, you won\u2019t learn how to improve.<\/p>\n<p>Get a solid understanding of the quality of feedback you should expect from an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2015\/07\/23\/essay-correction-service\/\">IELTS feedback service<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/feedback-how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"196\" \/>Expertise<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019ve already mentioned that there are many dishonest online teachers that don\u2019t have actual IELTS experience. To get the most out of a course, you should make sure that your tutor is an IELTS expert.<\/p>\n<p>To know whether your tutor is reliable, you need to find the answers to the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is your teacher qualified?<\/li>\n<li>Is your teacher experienced at teaching IELTS?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A trustworthy IELTS tutor needs to have passed the exam themselves (if they are a non-native speaker). Otherwise, they will have very little knowledge about what it takes to get your required score.<\/p>\n<p>However, simply passing the exam is not enough. If you are paying for a tutor, you want one that can effectively convey strategies that will help you improve your skills. This standard of teaching requires years of experience of both teaching IELTS and helping people get the scores they need.<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709112\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/signs-of-an-ielts-scam-expertise.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"516\" height=\"196\" \/>Simple and honest<\/h3>\n<p>When it comes to preparing for the IELTS exam, the best\u00a0piece of advice I could give you is to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oF7qRbl3NAk\">keep it simple<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is because the IELTS exam has been overcomplicated by teachers that want you to think that you need their help. An easy way to make money is to tell people that the IELTS exam is difficult and the solution is complicated but expensive.<\/p>\n<p>Truthfully, the IELTS exam is easy once you know what you\u2019re doing. A company that tells you anything different is either uninformed or lying to you.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, many online teachers and courses make money from empty promises. But not even the best course in the world can guarantee a score if you don\u2019t invest the time or energy.<\/p>\n<h4>Take a look at the images below.<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709109\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/How-to-spot-an-ielts-scam.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"579\" height=\"329\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When I searched for cheap IELTS preparation courses on Google, I came across the images above. At first glance, they might look pretty promising. But you need to ask yourself &#8211; are these claims feasible?<\/p>\n<p>The image on the left promises <strong>10<\/strong> essay evaluations for $20.<\/p>\n<p>It takes around 20 minutes for an examiner to read and grade an IELTS essay. Do you think these prices are suited to pay for their time?<\/p>\n<p>The image on the right promises IELTS success without even having to take the exam!<\/p>\n<p>Be very cautious about such outrageous promises, and remember: when it comes\u00a0to low-cost IELTS courses &#8211; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.<\/p>\n<p>(There are also consistent spelling and grammar errors in the screenshots above. This is a key indicator of a fake IELTS teacher!)<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/signs-of-an-ielts-scam-complex.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"516\" height=\"196\" \/>Testimonials<\/h3>\n<p>Testimonials are the best form of evidence to prove whether a school or course is honest and helpful. The reason for this is simple: when people get the help they need, they like to send their thanks.<\/p>\n<p>If a course or company doesn\u2019t have any testimonials, they probably have never helped anyone before.<\/p>\n<p>However, like everything on the internet, you need to be wary when regarding testimonials and ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are these testimonials helpful?<\/li>\n<li>Do they provide an insight into the course?<\/li>\n<li>How do I know they weren&#8217;t written by members of staff?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If the answers to these questions are negative, then it is likely that the testimonials are not authentic and the company is not trustworthy. The best way for companies to share testimonials is through platforms that prove their existence, such as videos on YouTube or images on Facebook or Instagram. If you truly can&#8217;t tell whether a testimonial is real &#8211; it probably isn&#8217;t. For an idea of the standard of testimonials to expect from a reliable online company, take a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vCRU-Skq4Ak&amp;list=PLWWR_9t3vo3Mwov--IjybGlj8XZ_BPXa8\">our Success Stories<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709114\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/signs-of-an-ielts-scam-testimonials.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"196\" \/>Transparency<\/h3>\n<p>I would like to conclude with the best way to validate an online course: always ask questions.<\/p>\n<p>Communicate with the team that runs the company whether it is via email, their website or social media. You will never offend an honest IELTS tutor if you ask about their feedback, expertise, methods or testimonials.<\/p>\n<p>An online service should always respond to your questions with friendliness and useful information.<\/p>\n<p>If you receive a defensive or aggressive response, it is a clear indication that the individual speaking to you either does not know the answers to your questions or simply doesn\u2019t care about your IELTS performance and wants to take your money.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1709115\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam-transparency.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"518\" height=\"197\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I hope this blog post has made it easier for you to identify the difference between an IELTS scam and an authentic IELTS course that will truly help you get the score you need to achieve your goals.<\/p>\n<p>As ever, feel free to email me if you have any questions about your IELTS preparation or need professional help to get the score you need: <a href=\"mailto:chris@ieltsadvantage.com\">chris@ieltsadvantage.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1709120 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Spot-IELTS-Scam.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"216\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watch this video on YouTube Millions of people take the IELTS exam every year, many of whom choose an online course or teacher to help with their preparation. This means that deciding which IELTS course or tutor to choose has never been more difficult. The reason for this is simple: online IELTS teachers are not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[103190,230,103195,103183],"class_list":{"0":"post-1709108","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-study-tips","8":"tag-ielts-help","9":"tag-ielts-preparation","10":"tag-ielts-resources","11":"tag-ielts-tools","12":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Spot an IELTS Scam - IELTS Exam Preparation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This article will help you understand the difference between an IELTS scam and an authentic online course that will guide your IELTS preparation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Spot an IELTS Scam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article will help you understand the difference between an IELTS scam and an authentic online course that will guide your IELTS preparation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"IELTS Advantage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IELTSadvantage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/IELTSAdvantage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-29T13:28:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-03T18:19:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"935\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Christopher Pell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Christopher Pell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Christopher Pell\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9750c39aebefb5637d5cae1fc0a0dd28\"},\"headline\":\"How to Spot an IELTS Scam\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-29T13:28:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-03T18:19:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\"},\"wordCount\":1160,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Logo.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"IELTS help\",\"IELTS Preparation\",\"IELTS resources\",\"IELTS Tools\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Study Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ieltsadvantage.com\/2018\/11\/29\/how-to-spot-an-ielts-scam\/\",\"name\":\"How to Spot an IELTS Scam - 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