IELTS is one of the most recognised English language proficiency tests, the results of which may be helpful for job seeking and further studies in Hong Kong, or for staying, working or pursuing higher education in countries where English is the dominant language. There are many different IELTS preparation courses in the market, offered by a wide range of institutions. The Consumer Council reviewed different courses and found a considerable discrepancy in tuition fees, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousand dollars, with approximately a 20-fold difference in the average hourly cost. Many courses featured “free trial class” or “guaranteed results”; however, most of them came with many preconditions. The Council reminds consumers to enquire about every detail of the course, such as the content, charging criteria, the make-up classes and withdrawal arrangements before enrolling. Consumers should not make hasty decisions so as to avoid wasting money and time, and failing to achieve the desired score.
Council staff posed as general customers to collect information from the websites of 15 institutions and made further enquiries to understand the course content and service terms. The survey covered IELTS preparation courses offering live lectures (i.e. not pre-recorded).
Some institutions offered different modules of IELTS preparation courses at different levels. Before enrolling, consumers could consider taking the English proficiency test or trial class provided by the institution but should pay heed to whether there are any additional charges or requirements. The survey found that 1 institution required students to pay $90 to take an English language test before enrolling while 2 institutions offered trial classes with additional fees. In addition, 2 institutions requested students to submit relevant academic certificates before confirming the admission offer. Otherwise, they were required to take an English proficiency test or sit an entrance examination.
The Council had received a complaint against an institution who claimed to offer “free trial class” while promoting their IELTS courses but charged the complainant $300 as reservation deposit afterwards. On the day of the trial class, the complainant was exposed to a 2-hour sales bombardment and had to pay about $4,000 as the first instalment of the tuition fee in order to leave. Therefore, consumers should pay heed to institutions offering free trial classes as sales tactics but may in fact bear other hidden charges.
Moreover, 6 institutions offered “grade guarantee” packages to entice customers. However, most packages included a number of terms and conditions; the most common prerequisites include attaining certain levels in public examinations or school results, class attendance rate, homework, and mock examinations. Before enrolling, consumers should enquire about and understand the details regarding the “grade guarantee” package and the conditions for the guarantee, in order to evaluate whether the requirements are achievable before deciding to enrol.
The course fees also varied widely, among which the average hourly fee of face-to-face courses was relatively high. Taking courses with fixed-hours/classes as an example, the average hourly fee for face-to-face sessions ranged from a minimum of $32 to a maximum of $663, reaching a difference of about 20 times. For self-selected face-to-face or online courses, the average hourly fee ranged from $115 to $417, with a difference of more than 2 times. Only 1 institution offered fixed-hour real-time online courses at an average of $187 per hour. The course content of 5 institutions were more personalised, and students could form their own class, select the number of hours and sessions, or purchase points to redeem lessons. 1 institution charged its tuition fee based on the students’ target scores. The charge for a target IELTS score of 4.5 or below was $24,800, whereas $29,300 was charged for a target between 5 and 7.5, a difference of about 20%.
Besides tuition fees, the teaching mode and the arrangements of the courses should not be neglected. A consumer may prefer face-to-face lessons for learning effectiveness or may consider online classes more flexible. However, 5 institutions surveyed offered face-to-face real-time courses only and 4 others offered online real-time courses only, with the remaining 6 offering a mixed mode. The IELTS examination consists of 4 parts, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. However, some courses specialised in teaching examination tactics for specific parts only, hence only suitable for students looking for improvement in the respective skills. Consumers must pay attention to the teaching focus and course content before enrolling.
Amid the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers should pay special attention to the course policy, the restrictions on absence and make-up classes, as well as the payment method and the arrangement for drop-out before making payment. If a student found a mismatch with the level of the course or could not adapt to the tutor's teaching style after the course commenced, 4 institutions neither allow transfer to other courses nor changing tutors or may vary depending on the situation. If the absence was due to personal reasons, 4 institutions would not arrange for or guarantee to provide free make-up classes. Moreover, 8 institutions required students to make full payment upon enrolment. If consumers requested to withdraw for personal reasons after payment, no refund would be granted as indicated by 9 institutions. Regarding special anti-epidemic arrangements, the survey found that the face-to-face courses of 7 institutions would be changed to real-time online or pre-recorded video replay, but some have no special arrangements or did not provide any relevant information.
If consumers intend to apply for the Government's Continuing Education Fund (CEF), only 5 institutions indicated that their designated IELTS preparation courses were included in the reimbursable course list. Consumers are advised to verify with the institutions whether the course they intend to enrol in meets the eligibility requirements.
Consumers who wish to sign up for the IELTS preparation courses should pay heed to the following:
- Compare course content, tuition fee, teaching mode, time, venue, payment methods and make-up class arrangements offered by different institutions. Consumers should choose courses according to their English proficiency and learning needs;
- Consider joining free trial lessons provided by the institution, especially participating in a regular class, to experience the teaching style of the instructor. It is not advisable to rush paying "reservation deposit” after the trial class;
- To protect their rights, consumers should ensure that the contracts or receipts clearly state the arrangements for regular and make-up classes, tuition fees, withdrawal clauses, and terms and conditions of grade guarantee before making payment. In case of future disputes, there would be sufficient evidence to file a complaint.
Download the article (Chinese only): https://ccchoice.org/544ielts
Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE magazine and Online CHOICE.