A recent LinkedIn post by a career counsellor at a prominent school in Islamabad has gained traction for highlighting instances of fake IELTS results being circulated by certain agencies and agents in the country.
“As a dedicated school counsellor from Pakistan, I can attest to the immense effort we put into guiding our students toward meaningful educational opportunities abroad. We work with integrity and persistence to ensure our students represent Pakistan with pride and credibility,” said the post by a senior career advisor at The City School.
“But unfortunately, the actions of a few deceitful agencies are undermining these efforts, damaging not only the reputations of individual students but also the overall perception of Pakistani applicants.”
Over 103,000 Pakistani students were studying abroad as of 2022, according to the latest available figures, with the UAE, UK, and Australia being the top study destinations for students from the South Asian country.
According to the counsellor, though most of these students are talented and hardworking, and “committed to earning their place through merit”, there are “bad eggs in the system trying to mislead them”.
“It’s time for us, as a collective community, to stand against them. We need to call them out, name and shame them, and protect the futures of our students along with our country’s credibility on the global stage,” said the counsellor.
Pakistan is home to one of the largest number of English speakers in the world, owing to its colonial history and vast population.
With most universities in major study destinations, especially the big four, mandating a 6.0-7.0 IELTS score during admissions, stakeholders believe students face intense pressure in meeting the requirements.
The main reason behind IELTS score manipulation is the involvement of unethical agents who promise higher scores through fake documents and done-for-you’ services
Kousar Sharif, Nextage Institute IELTS and Coaching Centre
“The main reason behind IELTS score manipulation is the involvement of unethical agents who promise higher scores through fake documents and ‘done-for-you’ services, charging students extra fees,” Kousar Sharif, director at Lahore-based Nextage Institute IELTS and Coaching Centre, told The PIE News.
“These students, often facing intense pressure to meet language requirements, may turn to such practices rather than improving their English skills. As a result, their actual performance once enrolled abroad is usually weak, exposing the discrepancy between their claimed test results and genuine language ability.”
According to Sharif, certain agents “charge Rs.700,000 PKR for a 6.0 band score”, and even send candidates to the UAE for manipulated speaking tests.
“To address these issues, test-awarding bodies like IDP, the British Council, and Cambridge must strengthen their internal controls and hiring processes,” stated Sharif.
“This includes implementing advanced technologies to monitor staff activities and ensuring that all personnel involved in score handling are thoroughly vetted.”
The trend of ‘managed tests’, wherein agents fraudulently assist students to pass tests or receive high scores, has also emerged in Pakistan.
“Managed tests are conducted by using imposters instead of students attempting online exams circumventing exam security, especially in LRW sections.” said Dr Osamah Qureshi, director, Ireland Education Office, who has been overseeing English language tests over the past two decades.
“[The] problem is very much common in online exams with security loopholes and so most institutions started asking for centre-based exams, plus Duolingo is asking for secondary camera to attempt exam to improve exam security.”
Qureshi further added that most of these ‘managed tests’ were conducted for admissions in the UK.
According to an IDP official from Pakistan, who wished to remain anonymous, many IELTS instructors and study abroad firms have been exploiting paper-based IELTS systems.
“Exam materials are often leaked from an unknown source, potentially the night before the test. This could happen due to the global commencement of exams and differences in time zones,” stated the official.
“For instance, exams starting in one region might allow answer keys to be accessed and shared in Pakistan before the test takes place here.”
While such malpractice previously led to temporary bans, now there’s a permanent disqualification of such results once caught, as per the official.
“We even came across one consultant with access to the answer key for every exam date. For one test date, there were about 350 students under him, who were provided with access to answer keys.”
According to the individual, most cases involving fraudulent scores come from the Punjab province, home to cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Multan.
“We have seen people sometimes have to pay Rs 1,700,000 PKR to get their scores manipulated. There’s still a lot of myth around the exam, which has been contributed to by many YouTube academics spreading misinformation about IELTS,” said the official.
“Still there’s some improvement in how young students perform in the exams, especially in speaking sections compared to previous years.”
Cases of fake scores have not escaped the notice of IDP, which has warned against ‘buying certificates’ and engaging with IELTS advertisements promising certificates without exams.
While maintaining that it takes ‘strongest possible action’ against individuals misrepresenting IELTS or misleading students, a spokesperson for IELTS told The PIE that it works with authorities worldwide to clamp down any such efforts.
“We know how important it is for universities to have confidence in their students’ English language ability, and admissions staff are advised to check results always using our free IELTS Results Service. The service can be used to quickly verify the authenticity of a Test Report Form,” said the IELTS spokesperson.
“Recognising organisations are also encouraged to use our eDelivery results service, meaning results go directly to the institution.”
The spokesperson emphasised that selling IELTS results or Test Report Forms constitutes a serious crime. They also warned that individuals attempting to buy such items are not only wasting their money but also ‘jeopardizing their future prospects with recognizing organizations’.
Despite high inflation rates, dependence on IMF loans, and currency fluctuations, Pakistan’s rising middle class has led to an increased student demand in countries like the UK.
But such a development has its own disadvantages as Pakistan deals with cases of fraud involving study abroad firms.
Data obtained by the Express Tribune reveals that cases of fraud involving study abroad firms have surged by 20-35% across five major cities in Punjab over the past four years.
In 2024 alone, 1,409 complaints were recorded, with the highest percentage reported in Lahore, followed by Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan.
“The Higher Education Commission’s website clearly lists the names of verified universities. Unfortunately, many students take the assistance of fraudulent agents, who often guide them to unaccredited universities,” a spokesperson for the HEC, a statutory body under the government of Pakistan, told the Express Tribune.
“These agents may charge students extra money under the pretext of scholarships and misguide them on their admission process.”
Reports of scams involving English language tests and study abroad agencies have also come out of neighbouring India, in recent years.
While a lookout notice was issued against scammers in Gujarat, where nearly a thousand candidates fraudulently obtained high IELTS scores, Punjab has witnessed numerous individuals falling victim to online fraud in their attempt to acquire an IELTS certificate without taking the exam.
“Dishonest agents”, who have been blamed for visa fraud and high rejections from India, are also responsible for a negative impact on the sector according to stakeholders, as previously reported by The PIE News.
