Reports from The Telegraph indicate that organised cheating rings have been exposed in Bangladesh, China and Vietnam, where leaked versions of the IELTS exam were allegedly sold to individuals aiming to obtain UK visas.
This investigation comes as the test provider confirmed that around 80,000 candidates worldwide may have been given inaccurate scores due to an assessment error — an issue that has raised fresh questions about the reliability of the entire IELTS system.
According to the report, criminal groups in Bangladesh and China allegedly supplied candidates with advance access to IELTS question papers, enabling them to memorise answers before the official test.
In Bangladesh, law enforcement detained two suspects accused of distributing the leaked materials, reportedly charging between £1,000 and £2,500 for access.
In Vietnam, the British Council reportedly cancelled an upcoming test earlier this year and substituted a backup paper after rumours spread regarding possible leaks.
The Telegraph also highlighted a surge in cheating incidents, noting that several UK universities have temporarily paused student recruitment from Bangladesh and Pakistan due to concerns over misuse of the visa process.
