British Council in Malaysia announces winners of the 2018/19 IELTS Prize

KUALA LUMPUR,Malaysia,Aug. 13,2019 -- Four outstanding IELTS test takers in Malaysia have been awarded the IELTS Prize 2018/19,including a Regional 2nd Prize winner. This is the third year in a row that a Malaysian has won a Regional Prize.

The British Council IELTS Prize,since its launch in 2011,has supported more than 270 students in East Asia in pursuing their dreams of studying abroad. This year,33 prize winners in the region have been added to the list.

The Regional 2nd Prize and Local Prizes are awarded to four outstanding test takers in Malaysia

This year,the Regional 2nd Prize is awarded to Praveena Mahadevan,while thethree Local Prize winners are Joanne Loo YingJia (1stPrize),Nicholas Tan Hao Yu (2ndPrize) and Nadia Izzati binti Zamri (3rd Prize).

Regional 2nd Prize winner Praveena says: 'Pursuing a Master in Public Health degree is something I have wanted to do ever since I was in medical school,and now with the IELTS prize,I am able to make it a reality. It's also humbling to know that the British Council felt my interests and goals were worthy of their support and has given me a little boost of confidence in myself and in my capabilities'.

Local 1st Prize winner Joanne Loo says: 'For many years I felt a deep desire to expand my horizons and to seek engaging experiences with international creatives,but what held me back the most was my financial capabilities. Winning the IELTS Prize has given me the much-needed boost to strike forth with courage and develop my personal,artistic narrative'.

'We are delightedto announce that this year there are four Malaysian winners of the British Council IELTS Prize 2018/19 and,for the third year in a row,we have a regional prize winner from Malaysia,' said Sarah Deverall,Director Malaysia. 'IELTS is the world's most popular high-stakes English proficiency test,with over 3.5 million tests taken in 2018. Through the British Council IELTS Prize,we are pleased to subsidise high-calibre individuals who demonstrate the potential to make a significant positive contribution to society after their studies.'

Winners demonstrate a strong aspiration and commitment to serve society

This year,the British Council interviewed over one hundred exceptional individuals who have excelled in their IELTS test and shown admirable aspiration in their plan to contribute to society,locally or abroad. While it was a tough decision for the judges,the winners demonstrated an outstanding level of academic commitment and excellent communication skills. These individuals will become British Council IELTS Ambassadors.

Top three test takers in East Asia have been awarded the Regional Prize

Three regional prizes valued up to RM220,000 have been awarded to top students in East Asia who will pursue higher education in their dream universities in the 2019/20 academic year.

The British Council provides test takers with a full range of services,including pre-test support,in-test arrangements and post-test services. This includes access to Road to IELTS,a collection of specially designed online preparation and practice materials for registered students,including practice tests. Test takers also benefit from easily accessible venues,flexibility when selecting test sessions to best suit their schedules,and the timely receipt of their Test Report Form. To learn more,please visit https://www.ieltsasia.org/my/.

For more information,contact:

Ikram Khasim

Communications Manager

E: Ikram.Khasim@britishcouncil.org.my

T: +60-3-2723-7969

Tan Dencoln

Exams Marketing Manager

E: dencoln.tan@britishcouncil.org.my

T: +603-2723-7987

Notes to Editors:

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System,the world's most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration with over 3.5 million tests taken in the last year. Over 10,000 organisations trust and accept IELTS as a secure,valid and reliable indicator of true to life ability to communicate in English for education,immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council,IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.

The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for education and cultural relations. Dedicated to building trust through the exchange of knowledge between people worldwide,the British Council is represented in over 100 countries.

About the test

Test takers are measured in listening,reading,writing and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest band).

IELTS offers a choice of two test versions,to serve both academic and non-academic purposes. IELTS Academic measures English language proficiency needed for an academic,higher learning environment. The tasks and texts are accessible to all test takers,irrespective of their subject focus. IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in a practical,everyday context. The tasks and texts reflect both workplace and social situations. IELTS General Training is suitable for immigration purposes to Australia,Canada,New Zealand and the United Kingdom and Ireland.

A sample of government and professional associations who recognise or require applicants to hold an IELTS test result include:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection

UK Visas and Immigration

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and National Council of State Boards of Nursing,USA

International Monetary Fund

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture,English language,education and civil society. Last year we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online,broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with-- changing lives by creating opportunities,building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org