All advertising content is a scam
Services that offer to take English language certification exams on behalf of others with commitments of "guaranteed pass" or "retake if you fail" that have exploded on social networks recently are actually just scams.
According to information from the British Council in Vietnam, recently, the British Council and its affiliated units organizing the Aptis ESOL exam have recorded a number of violations of the reputation of the Aptis ESOL exam being advertised online and directly to candidates.
Fraudsters often impersonate partners or have a relationship with the British Council or its affiliated Aptis ESOL test organizers and claim to: Have access to confidential Aptis ESOL test documents; be able to influence the test process and regulations; register candidates for the test with the British Council or its affiliated Aptis ESOL test organizers; and provide test papers before the official test date.
The British Council confirms that all advertising activities and content are fraudulent. The registration process and exam fees are posted and publicly listed on the website of the British Council and its affiliated units organizing the Aptis ESOL exam.
"We apply a multi-layered security system and strict security checks at all stages of the exam organization to optimize the objectivity, transparency and fairness of the Aptis ESOL exam, an international English exam with high standards approved by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam under Decision No. 3646/QD-BGDDT" - British Council informed.
The security of Aptis ESOL exams is consistent with the British Council's zero tolerance policy for any cheating by candidates.
Any cheating detected before, during or after the Aptis ESOL exam will result in the cancellation of the exam results and a possible ban from taking the exam for one year. Aptis ESOL accreditation bodies may also have their own penalties for cheating.
Candidates need to study hard and take real exams.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga - Head of the Foreign Language Department - Academy of Journalism and Propaganda affirmed that the addresses providing services for taking English language certificates on behalf of others all show signs of fraud.
Currently, facilities that are allowed to organize exams to grant certificates such as APTIS, IELTS, TOEIC, etc. are all managed and licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training. The organization of these exams is carried out in a standardized manner, with clear regulations on the rules, forms and regulations of the exam. The fact that scammers take advantage of candidates' fear of failing the exam or being lazy to study to provide proxy testing services to appropriate property also makes many candidates confused. According to Ms. Nga, usually those who have the idea of hiring someone to take the exam for them are those with poor foreign language skills. Candidates who hire someone to take the exam for them or use fake certificates will face many disadvantages if discovered by the agency or unit that receives the certificate. Currently, schools and agencies send official dispatches to the exam organizing unit requesting verification of whether the candidate actually took the exam or not. Therefore, the use of fake certificates is very easy to detect. The organization of exams at licensed facilities is also strictly managed. Because there are cameras in the exam room and cameras in front of the candidates' screens, it is very difficult for candidates to take the exam for others or exchange exam papers right in the exam room. To avoid being taken advantage of by scammers, Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga advises that candidates need to "study for real, take the exam for real". Candidates need to carefully research the exam organizers on mass media. Those who have taken the exam, have experience participating in one of the APTIS, IELTS, TOEIC exams, etc. are also a channel to learn.
