A European dream - an IELTS test away

Registering as a social worker in the UK has suddenly become an emotional roller coaster for many candidates. The registration requirements for Social Work England (NWE) changed at the last minute, requiring an IELTS Academic certificate with an overall minimum score of 7.

The news was a shock for many social workers who already fluently spoke English in their home countries. They tried to achieve the necessary score independently, but were caught in an expensive carousel of failed tests while deadlines approached for UK employers.

This is when Andreea Berkhout Academy comes in. Transforming scores of 5 or 5.5 overall into 7 is an enormous challenge: high scores in the IELTS Academic are difficult to obtain, even without a tight deadline.

This involves working day and night, battling technical issues, daily power outages in South Africa, where many of our students in this project study, internet signal failures in the middle of explaining strategies, and so many intense emotions… But the satisfaction is incommensurate when mock test scores increase, essays and graphs take shape, Reading and Listening become intelligible, and Speaking with follow-up questions shows its importance in the exam.

Ruth is the first student in the project to sit the IELTS Academic test and receive the results. Her dream of reaching Europe is turning into reality. With the local and international support of family, recruiters, employers, and Andreea Berkhout Academy, Ruth will leave behind her world and embrace a new one, where she will put into practice what she learned at home in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal: kindness and helping others.

The future opens up for Ruth, and Andreea Berkhout Academy takes pride in her success. Congratulations, Ruth! Congratulations to my wonderful team as well! You are everything I could wish for!