The Predictive Validity of the IELTS Test and Contribution of IELTS Preparation Courses to International Students’ Subsequent Academic Study - Insights from Vietnamese International Students in the UK

Aug 29, 2026

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are widely used as entry requirements for international students in English-medium universities, yet evidence on IELTS’s predictive validity for later academic performance remains mixed. In addition, research rarely examines whether IELTS preparation courses actually help learners develop knowledge and skills needed for subsequent university study. Focusing on Vietnamese students in the UK, the study tests (a) the predictive validity of IELTS scores and (b) the support provided by one Vietnam-based IELTS preparation course, using questionnaires and follow-up interviews.

LanguageEnglish

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Research Article The Predictive Validity of the IELTS Test and Contribution of IELTS Preparation Courses to International Students’Subsequent Academic Study: Insights from Vietnamese International Students in the UK Chau Ngoc Dang and Thi Ngoc Yen Dang University of Leeds, UK RELC Journal 2023, Vol. 54(1) 84–98 © The Author(s) 2021 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/0033688220985533](DOI: 10.1177/0033688220985533)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/0033688220985533)[journals.sagepub.com/home/rel](journals.sagepub.com/home/rel) Abstract International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores have been widely used as the language entry requirements for international students in many English-medium universities. However, research on the predictive validity of IELTS on subsequent academic performance has been inconclusive. Additionally, despite the proliferation of IELTS preparation courses, very few attempts have been made to explore the extent to which these courses support course takers’development of knowledge and skills needed for their subsequent university study. This paper investigated (a) the predictive validity of IELTS results on the subsequent academic performance of Vietnamese international students at UK universities, and (b) the extent to which an IELTS preparation course in Vietnam supported its course takers in their subsequent academic study in the UK. Questionnaires with 80 Vietnamese international students from 31 universities across the UK showed that there was a positive significant correlation between these students’IELTS scores and their academic results. Follow-up interviews with two undergraduates and two postgraduates who had previously studied in the same IELTS preparation course, but were studying different academic disciplines at different institutions in the UK, and analysis of the materials used in their IELTS preparation course and university courses revealed that the course positively supported these students’ subsequent academic study, but certain skills and knowledge needed in their academic study were not effectively covered in the IELTS preparation course. Corresponding author: Thi Ngoc Yen Dang, School of Education, University of Leeds, Hillary Place, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. [Email: T.N.Y.Dang@leeds.ac.uk](Email: T.N.Y.Dang@leeds.ac.uk) Keywords IELTS, predictive validity, IELTS preparation course, Vietnamese, international students Introduction Predictive validity means the extent to which a test can predict test takers’ future performance (Woodrow, 2006) . The predictive validity of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has received a great deal of attention from researchers given that this test has been widely used to assess whether non-English background students are ready to study in English-medium courses (Green, 2007) . Research on the predictive validity of IELTS has been inconclusive. While several studies found a positive relationship between students’ IELTS scores and their university academic results (e.g. Hu and Trenkic, 2019; Thorpe et al., 2017), other studies (e.g. Cotton and Conrow, 1998; Dooey and Oliver, 2002) did not. This suggests that the predictive validity of IELTS on subsequent academic performance may vary according to context and group of participants. Moreover, previous studies have been conducted with students from a single institution, while the appropriate English proficiency entry levels may vary among institutions (Woodrow, 2006). Exploring opinions of students from different institutions would provide better insights into the predictive validity of IELTS on subsequent academic performance in English-medium university courses. Additionally, earlier research on the predictive validity of IELTS has mainly adopted a quantitative method by comparing language test scores to Grade Point Average (GPA) . Some s

FAQs

What does predictive validity mean in this study?

Predictive validity refers to the extent to which a test can predict test takers’ future performance. The paper applies this concept to IELTS scores and later academic results.

What relationship did the study find between IELTS scores and academic performance?

Questionnaires from 80 Vietnamese international students across UK universities showed a positive significant correlation between IELTS scores and their academic results.

How did the IELTS preparation course in Vietnam affect students’ later study in the UK?

Follow-up interviews and analysis of course materials indicated that the preparation course positively supported students’ subsequent academic study. However, it did not effectively cover certain skills and knowledge needed for university learning.

Aug 29, 2026

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