mrnilobrawn:

No reason oo except thats where my school is, was thinking it will b better staying close to school. I appreviate Any advice. Hav also checked flatmates...will try airbnb

bossladymo1:


Are you a pastor?

mrnilobrawn:

Hello bro,

Abeg i need help on accomodation in Granville area or close suburb... Been searching gumtree and the rest no reply from those folks.

Will b touching down sydney 2O june.
Plz any tips/help will go along way

bossladymo1:



plenty paparazzi lol.

Where exactly are you located? Melbourne?

bossladymo1:


I can imagine! Was discussing it with my husband yesterday too. That is one of the reasons you have to go through induction and all that. Even this my small work that does not involve any machinery or heavy lifting, I still had to do safety induction.

bossladymo1:
NNBB2012

You are right. Their request for local experience is not silly actually. It's when you are lucky to get a job without it, that you understand why they always ask for it. Their work culture here is totally different. They are vibrant, stick to the job, OH&S policies, and are always professional.

chuckdee13:
pls tell me...is it possible to get a possitive assessment from EA with less than 3yrs working exp?

gogochocolate:
My dear friends the last few months have been critical for me with regards to this migration move. I and members of my family were granted 189 visa December last year by Australia DIBP and we were planning to move Australia later this year. Before that i had applied for Canada FSWP program and it was taking forever to process. I have hinged my prediction on the fact that it takes about three to four years to process based on the normal bottlenecks experienced with CIC Canada. However not long after i was granted the 189 Australia Visa, last two months precisely ,Canadian Immigration contacted me for medicals and shortly after i was asked for my passport and issued an immigrant visa. I am apprehensive now cause they are both coming at this time and the last date of entry for both differs by about some few month.
Please i need someone who is versed with the job opportunities in both countries to advise me. I have tried to calculate the cost of going to both countries to at least activate the Permanent residence status but the tickets fees are astronomical. I love Australia but what is drawing me to Canada is more of friends and Family network. In Australia, I don't have anyone to put me through but i understand Australia recognizes Nigerian Credentials and it would be easy for me to get a job as as a professional engineer.
My second issue is that while Engineers Australia has assessed me for migration i have not had any dealing with any engineering society in Canada inorder words i am not recognized as an engineer.
Please kindly advise.

Ifexsco:
Hello peeps, am back with a concern.....as I said earlier, I had submitted my 189 application but yet to upload my documents. Just want to be sure it can be done that way because am having issues here uploading.....I click on attach and the page goes grey as if its loading....and it starts that way for ever!! Is it that my internet is poor? But am opening other sites pretty fast.
The guide says an application must have in progress as status before you can upload documents.....but mine is saying application received?

Pls comment guys and help a bro!

chuckdee13:
I've been going thru the booklet n theres something thats not clear to me. if ur qualification is accredited,does that prevent u from sending documentary evidence of employment? cos i only saw this under non-accredited qualifications.

iykosman:
Hello house, I just bumped into this thread as I have been interested in moving to Australia but do not know how I can qualify for their PR package.
I have BSc in Microbiology, but have moved to ICT (Network/Telecommunications) since graduation, upto 5years experience. 27yrs, haven't written English test yet, can anyone help pls, I need to know my stand and what I need to adjust. Thanks in advance.

chuckdee13:
ok thats helpful. i know i shudnt ask but whats CDR pls

chuckdee13:
this is really informative n helpful...does this mean that industrial training in school counts for experience?

akinnawou:
good day all,i have been following this thread quietly for a while now, and have seen the useful n invaluable advice being given by the members of this thread.i would like to go straight to my point and questions.
i intend migrating to aussie through the migration skillled assessmemt.i sat for my IELTS exam this month for the general test,and my result just came in.
Listening 7.0
Reading 7.5
Speaking 6.5
Writing 6.5

i would like to direct my questions directly to NNBB2012,Crestline, Manmeta and whoever feels s/he cn b of help.reason been that those three i mentioned were assessd by Engineers Australia (EA) and are telecoms engineer if am right.
i would want a thorough guideline on how to proceed with submitting my application to EA,completing the CDR,the three career episodes and all.am already gathering my documents, i have my transcript ready,IELTS,BSC certificate..
please i need ur assistance so i cn lodge this application in earnest..feel free to contact via emailss too shld d need arises
my mail addy:anu_akin@yahoo.co.uk

thanks

bossladymo1:
I derive pleasure from helping people. It's just the way I am, the way I am programmed. I am not some sadistic psycopath who derives pleasure from online attention. I am of the opinion that no one should be left in Nigeria, if they have the chance to gain a better life abroad....especially people with kids. Looking at my kids, I know that even if something happens and we can't afford to pay for their education...they have a government and systems in place to enable them continue their education as much as they can. So if I can help anyone else in any way I can, why not? I don't answer questions to show off. I say what I know. I was once a novice also. I remember my very first post on this thread. But I took my time to research thoroughly...like I said, I was not willing to spend a huge chunk of money on a process I knew nothing about.

So for someone to come and say there is more to me 'online niceness'....hmmm.....

I will let it die there.

Thanks to everyone who came to my defence.

malkinburg:


[color=#550000][/color]

What am about to say might not go down well with you. am also an engineer with a first degree in chemical engineering and currently doing masters here in australia. what am about saying is out of love and not as a hater. IF I WERE U I WILL COME TO OZ VIA PR (PERMANENT RESIDENCE) no need to come and waste your money especially when u plan on not being an academic. it will be better to enter and come do a six months internship to have australian work experience before starting to look for work than to come here all in an effort to get post work study after spending thousands of dollars with no access to scholarships like our brothers and sisters in the united states. if u have plenty money or on scholarship its a different case entirely. as for me i never looked at the PR critically until i was over invested in the whole student visa parade. Dont get it wrong coming to do Masters here is noble but i am asking you to do your COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS. truth is after school and ur post work study big ass employers still want u to have PR before they employ u. i have been here three months and 10 days now. in this time i have started my PR waka thanks to all the info i got from the lengends on this forum Bosslady et al. i decided to be proactive and have gone to several recruiters like chandler macloed, Hays and spoken to several other recruitment advisors in this firms. my general strategy was to inform them about my circumstance and ask them for advice on how to integrate myself into the industry after my program. BROS i cant begin to speak the english that i heard. plenty advice "Reasonable and unreasonable" the bottom line was I NEEDED PR ASAP. i have met other nigerians who came here with PR and working professional jobs with only BSC. if i get hold of that PR today all this acada will turn distant learning at my convenience or part time. MORAL OF MY STORY.... PR without work experience is better than masters without paper... so just take your time and come via PR. but if u are not patient enough you can still come ooooh its still waaaaaaay better than being in naija with all this drama and all. just be prepared to work your ass off to foot your bills if you dont have enough support from home.

God bless.

MostBlessed:
Gud Evening to you all,

I came across this forum and I really appreciate the great job you guys are doing here; wonderful thread with useful info

I will love to migrate to Australia with one of the workers scheme, but I really don't know what my chances are and what scheme I should apply thru;

PROFILE;

AGE: 29 years=30 points
QUALIFICATIONS: MSc Petroleum Engineering (UNITED KINGDOM) and BSc Mechanical Engineering (NIGERIA)=15points
EXPERIENCE: 3 years, 6 months as Petroleum Drilling Engineer= 5points
MARITAL STATUS: Single
IELTS Bandscore: 7. You need 7 in each of the band. Academics or General? If yes, you have 10points

Please can you Great peeps help me with the right direction to head towards.

Thanks in anticipation for your benevolence....

Omonjoe:
Can one submit application for skillselect(PR) without IELTS?

bc2015:
Goodevening everybody. I am a registered nurse midwife here in Nigeria. I also have a bachelor degree in nursing also from a Nigerian university with a 2.2. i dont really have any work experience since im about rounding up my nysc. pls, I wanna know if there re Post Graduate Diploma courses I can take in any Australian university or college whc can afford me the opportunity to write their nursing licensing exams and also what other routes can I take to become an Australian registered nurse. fellow nurses and gurus in d house pls help...

Ifexsco:
Thanks for the info. Is there nothing I can do now to remedy the suitation? Using the incorrect information form? Writing them? Withdrawing the application if there will be a refund?

Ifexsco:
Hope I have not gotten myself into a big shit! Didn't get to this thread till I had submitted my EOI, so my only source of info was the person that introduced me to it and the much I got frm skillselect n EA. I didn't know all these technicalities. In my CDR,I wrote on my IT done at d end of my Msc coursework and then on two post Msc exp....I got a positive from EA. I declared my Msc in d EOI. I didn't know what 'relevant' experience meant, so I claimed a 'non relevant' pre Msc exp. I also claimed my pre BEng attache exp and of course d attache exp at the end of my Msc coursework and also my post Msc exp....the EOI page said it seems I have 5 to 8yrs exp and I believe dats hw I was awarded 10 for qualification bringing my claims to 65points(Age 30, #ualification 15, IELTS 10).
Knowing about the technicalities now,am scared because I have only 4yrs 5months relevant post Msc exp which gives only 5 for exp (60 in total instead of 65)....DIBP says I must be able to prove my claim of 65points.
What's my fate? Do they look at EOIs to sieve out non relevant exp and exp gotten before the last qualification? NB I have gotten invitation and have paid n submitted though I am yet to upload my documents.
Comments pls.....

Omonjoe:
Yea, my B.Eng is a five year prog. I was thinking M.Eng should be an added advantage.How do I go about d EA stuff...is it done online?

DrDele:

Hello Forumites, i just recently joined. I am interested in Masters in Public health in Australia.

I am a Dr here in Nigeria and My wife holds a nursing Degree.

I recently Started my Residency training (pediatrics). But the strike and unpredictable things here is discouraging. '

I really need Advise from Members here. I am thinking of immigrating to Australia. I want to apply for a Masters in Public health for me to be able to immigrate. the target is practicing in Australia. But since i haven't written qualifying exams yet, i am thinking the quickest (or easiest) way to go is by a masters degree

what should i do? take up a masters in Public health? or go for something similar

mrnilobrawn, bossladyMo et al, please advise

udokas:
@Ferdimako, I have B. Sc and after working for 3yrs, I went for a 2yr M. Sc. Hv worked for 3.5yrs now since after M. Sc. Pls which of the degrees am I going to be assessed on? And will my experience after B. Sc be canceled? Am planning for 189 visa.

Ifexsco:


Hello NNBB2012 thanks for recent comment on my post! Went back to read your comments, came across this and afraid is catching me! Most of my experience is in lecturing! Planning on working as an Engineer and later enrol for my Phd....What say ya my Bro? You have been helpful already,thanks!

Ifexsco:
Hello peeps!!! Pls is there any petroleum engineer in the house or at least an engineer who has gone through the 189 route?? What's the job suitation on ground in Australia?? Can one get and manage anything overthere while looking for the Pet job? Expecting responses....thanks so much peeps!

IELTS-GENERAL vs. Pearson Academic | Someone personal experiences culled from British expats for the benefit of those might be interested.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My personal views on IELTS-GENERAL vs. the Pearson Academic tests of English, for emigration purposes.

Please note that I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with any educational institute; I'm only writing this to help those, who feel like they have reached a stumbling block which they simply cannot conquer. I am happy to answer any questions you have about IELTS and PTE, but please do bear the above mentioned in mind, my advice will only ever be anecdotal.

I have very strong personal views on giving and receiving advice, particularly on the internet, due to the relative anonymity the internet provides. My reasoning is that, advice without context can be very misleading and in some cases downright dangerous.



Please indulge me while I introduce myself to you first, before we delve a little deeper into the subject. For those who just want to jump straight to the crux of the matter, please feel free to ignore my ramblings below and skip to the summary at the bottom of the post.

Who am I?
I am a South African born, 30something year old male, who moved to England back in 2001 (holy crap time flies!).

What is my (self-assessed) English proficiency level?
English is not my native language in the strictest sense of the term, as I had been raised speaking Afrikaans as my mother tongue. My English has always been above average, given the fact that I had English speaking friends growing up, and I come from a country where it is widely spoken.

My school education was entirely in Afrikaans as well, apart the English classes of course. I went to University, where I had the choice of translating my lectures, source material and notes into Afrikaans with the option to write my exams in said language, but chose to “change the way I learn” and do it all in English instead. I am not a lazy person per-say, however I will always take the path of least resistance if such an option exists, and I really couldn't be arsed with the additional overhead of the aforementioned translation.

My nominated occupation is an “ICT Business Analyst” and have been working as one for the last 13ish years. The fact that I work within software development is irrelevant to this topic, but the essence of my skills lay in my ability to communicate accurately, in simple English, both verbally and in written form. I make a good living doing exactly that, so I knew that my level of English is pretty high and I consider English as my native language now. (I’d be in dire trouble if I needed to do a test of Afrikaans ability now! )

Why did I do the IELTS and Pearson tests and what scores did I need?
I want to emigrate to Australia and I needed to score a minimum of “8” (IELTS) or 79 (PTE-A) in each module respectively (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). As many of you already know, the average score is pretty much irrelevant and only a by-product of the individual scores, with candidates needing to score at least the minimum band in each of the discrete modules.

The reason I needed 8, is because I did not study what I do for a living (i.e.: lost a lot of points in my application, because I blagged my way into what I do), and therefore needed to bolster my visa application by getting 20 points for language ability, as opposed to 10 for a lower banding, or no points for the absolute minimum entry criteria.

What tests have I done, and what were my scores?
IELTS-G: Total of 6 attempts, please see the spread of my test results below:
Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking
1. L8, R7, W8, S9
2. L8, R7.5, W7.5, S9
3. L8, R7.5, W8, S9
4. L9, R8.5, W7.5, S9
5. L9, R9, W7.5, S8.5
6. L8.5, R8, W7.5, S 9

PTE-A: 1 attempt
Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking
1. L90, R90, W90, S87

Before you draw any immediate conclusions and skip the rest of this post, I must stress that I feel the PTE-A is NOT an easier exam to take.

--This is a pause for that statement to sink in for a moment…but don't lose hope –

I feel that the PTE-A, is a VASTLY FAIRER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE TEST, which I’ll elaborate on further down.

So how do the tests compare?
Based on the above results, I can understand that some readers may feel that my views are “sour grapes”, however I tried to be as objective as I can in my comparison and not as emotive as I want to be about the subject, though admittedly I’ll be using some visual language to express some of my feelings.

Another footnote: I’m not going to go into the minutiae here and give you a complete breakdown of each type of question you will encounter in PTE-A and IELTS, that’s up to you to practise. I would love to break it down and give feedback on every question type, but I simply do not have the time to do so, and I think it’s not in line with the intent of this post. Again, I’m happy to answer questions below and will reserve a response slot right beneath my post to surface any questions / FAQs that may arise in response to my thread, for easy access to anyone else reading this.
I will use some examples of question item types, so some of the meaning behind my examples might be lost on you if you’re not all that familiar with the question types in the two test types.

A: Question format
I feel that language proficiency is a difficult subject to score people on in an economically sustainable manner, and therefore I understand why written exams / tests are based on 4 main “pillars” of language such as L | R | W | S .

I feel, however, that a lot of language proficiency falls through the cracks between these pillars, particularly under examination conditions. The essence of comprehension, paraphrasing, reading between the lines, inference of information, situational context and awareness, interpretation, humour etc. are mostly lost.

PTE-A addresses some of these more “intangible” (for the lack of a better word) skills, by using integrated questions / item types. Integrated item types, refer to the method of testing more than one ability at a time. For example, you may be asked to summarise a piece of written text in your own words, capturing the essence of the text in only one sentence. This will test your writing and reading skills at the same time.

Another good example, is that you will be played an audio clip, which you will need to summarise in written form, testing your listening and writing skills concurrently.
I felt that, even with alien subject matter, with PTE-A I could close my eyes and listen to audio recordings and understand the meaning behind the lecture / audio discussion and then apply my understanding to the questions asked of me. Even “hard” pieces of written text with confusing vocabulary (I have a decent vocabulary, but there were a fair few pieces of text containing words I’ve never heard or seen before), I could get the gist of what’s written (or understand the word because of the context it was used), and apply logical deduction to come to my answer(s) (there are some multiple choice answers with multiple correct answers). In the situations where you needed to verbally summarise a recording (testing listening and speaking together), even though I couldn’t note down (on the erasable notebook you get) all of the main points and fancy words used, I was able to paraphrase, based on my core understanding of the audio clip.

In IELTS test there is no crossover / integrated questions, but they also try to ascertain whether a candidate can capture the meaning of written or spoken English, by asking questions that rely on very specific vocabulary used (or in the case of listening, misdirection). Using the reading module as a prime example, the questions become progressively harder towards the final two reading essays, and the candidate must understand the essay as a whole, to be able to find the information relating to the question he’s looking for. A vital tip that I can give anyone taking the IELTS still, is to ignore the rubbish rubbish rubbish (yes, I really feel strongly about this) advice given by the “road to IELTS” videos. Do NOT skip read the final essay, focussing on key words – read the whole damn thing. Skip reading works fine in the first couple essays, NOT the last!

So in summary of the question types, I'll use a simile:
During our school-going years, most of us came across two types of teachers. There was the more progressive teacher, who wanted you to do well but encouraged you to think for yourself using all the tools you have available to yourself (reasoning, deduction, argument etc.). You didn't find those classes any easier, but you applied what you know and did well as a result.

On the flipside, there was the old mean teacher, who used to try trip you up, by using subtle nuances in their questions to you in exam papers they set. Often you would know the correct answer, but because of a mean spirited twist to the question, you got the whole thing wrong.

PTE-A is like the progressive teacher, IELTS-G the latter.

B: Question content
Not an awful lot to write about here, apart from the fact that I found the content, though more academic in nature, much more interesting in PTE-A. I found that I cared about the subject matter of a lot of the questions, and felt it less of a chore to answer. Your views may differ, but I liked the fact that the PTE-A is “real world” content throughout the test vs. the scripted nonsense in the IELTS listening, or the world’s most boring essays in IELTS.

C: Scoring
There’s nothing I can say about the requirements to score 8 / 79 as a minimum for each module to attain the points you need. I personally feel that the distinction is a bit arbitrary and an average score is already reflective of modern use of language, but I’m not going to dwell on this.

However, as a direct result of the question format, I feel that PTE-A has a massive advantage for candidates. For example, if you make a mess of a question, you have the opportunity to make up for it, in questions or sections to follow. Using the “summarise written text” (testing reading and writing) as an example again, if you make a bit of a dog’s dinner of your summary, it’s OK – you have other questions later on (or preceding it) where you’re tested on the same skill(s). Added to this, mistakes can also still earn you a partial credit in some circumstances… let that sink in for a second. Obviously this does not apply to all circumstances (multiple choice answers obviously only has right / wrong values).

In IELTS-G, in the reading module, if you make more than 3 mistakes out of the 40 questions asked of you, that’s it – you're done, no “8” band score for you mate, pay us another £150 ish smackeroos, we'll see you next time.

This is the image the springs to mind



D: Timing
Yet another direct result of the question format (and also location, but we’ll cover that bit below), is the timing of the test. The subject of timing can be broken down into multiple sections; namely: Exam length, booking urgency and time taken for results to be returned.

Exam Length
As previously mentioned, my English proficiency is high, however I have been and always will be, a slow reader / writer. I was the kid at primary school that got picked on by my teacher for always being the last one to complete an essay, or to finish a reading assignment. I’m not a troglodyte mouth breather, but it’s just one of my personal shortcomings.

The PTE-A test requires you to make snappy conclusions, without needlessly relying on you to cover a lot of information. I found that I had ample time, though not excessive, to complete all tasks and question types. Some of this boils down to reading passages that are not overly long and some of it boils down to the fact that you can absorb information quickly by looking at an image / listening to audio / video etc. There are more examples of this, but it gets my point across.

In IELTS-G, I found that I barely had time to complete my reading due to my aforementioned shortcomings. This did not test my ability to read and comprehend, it needlessly put me under pressure, which can result in errors.

I have been working in a professional environment for many years now, and as a result, my handwriting is and awful mess. It is akin to a drunken spider that fell into an inkwell, flopping around on paper leaving an ink trail behind it. It is shorthand, meant to take notes in meetings, but nothing more. In the IELTS-G you have to hand write your essays, meaning that not only do you need to concentrate hard on writing clearly and accurately on some mundane topic you care nothing about, but also means that this extra care and the time it takes to correct errors, eats into the time allowed to write the essay.

Because PTE-A is computer based, at least I'm able to read what I’ve written on the mundane topic, but also easily spot and correct errors, without the paper looking like a bomb went off on it. My typing is proficient, though I do suffer from fat finger syndrome, but at least I had time to think about my essay and proof read it at least once.

Booking urgency:
PTE-A you can book up to two days before the test, I believe IELTS is 2 weeks, though I might be wrong on that fact. The point here is, that there’s a lot more available tests for PTE-A, than there are IELTS-G - so no need to book 2 tests in a row (like I had to do a few times during IELTS tests so I can just get the thing over and done with)

Results:
IELTS: 2 weeks
PTE-A: 5 working days, though I got my result back the morning of the second working day.

E: Location / Testing centre
IELTS-G tests are taken in halls (apart form the speaking, which is a one-to-one interview), where you sit in a row of candidates, similar to how you used to sit high-school / university exams. It’s overseen by a handful of invigilators, who at times act like they are prison wardens, or treating candidates like children. This is not always the case, but one particularly screechy invigilator springs to mind whenever I think of them.

PTE-A, you take your test in a smaller room, in a closed-off cubicle in front of a PC. I found that with the PTE-A I was a lot more at ease, as it just felt like I'm taking a test on my own sat in front of my computer with no outside pressure or the rigmarole of entering test centre numbers etc.

One aspect that I can't unfortunately compare, is feedback on scores. As you will notice from my test spread in IELTS, you will see that I figured out what I was doing wrong in the reading module, however my writing waivered. With only half a point off, I was gagging to understand where I have gone wrong, in an attempt to do better the next time around. I emailed the IELTS administrators, asking nicely whether it is possible for them to provide feedback, even if it means that I need to pay the 60 bucks fee to have it remarked. The feedback was as you’d expect, the playground bullies will not even give you feedback on your essay, even if you pay them to have another look at it. They recommended that I seek further tutelage from an accredited tutor. Big surprise there hey – feed them more money!
This is just plain vile and is quite telling of IELTS as a governing body. (see Simpsons meme above)

Summary
So for all those who chose to skip all my ramblings above, PTE-A is in my opinion the vastly superior test to take. It is more reflective of your English skills, by testing it in a less obtrusive way than IELTS does. It also enables you to do better, by presenting the test in a modern medium (PC based), using modern scenarios (combination of integrated questions, using real world, audio recordings, video clips, images and so forth)

If you struggle with English, this may not be the silver bullet you’re looking for as PTE-A is not easier. The test merely fairer on the candidate, but you still need the base-skills being tested

missakomaye:
Please guys I need advice. I have a friend in Aussie, I am supposed to stay with her for a while before I find my footing when I get there. She has sasked for a favor and here it is. She wants me to withdraw my application I had submitted since 2 weeks now and reapply again including her cousin as a my dependent. She promises she has a contact in student visa that assures my visa but I can't go through that visa stress again. I need her help too when I get there so is it too selfish not to want to withdraw my application? I know for a fact she has a contact but the hassles too much abeg.

Has anyone you known withdrawn and reapplied without hassle. If there was a way to skip some steps is wat I am asking