International English language testing: a critical response

Uysal's article provides a research agenda for IELTS and lists numerous issues concerning the test's reliability and validity. She asks useful questions, but her analysis ignores the uncertainties inherent in all language test development and the wider social and political context of international high-stakes language testing. In this response, I suggest there is ample evidence that, in the normal course of its test development and review processes, IELTS is aware of and addressing problematic issues in its testing as they arise. However, I also argue that to address some of the issues arising from Uysal's discussion, we need to take a broader perspective and examine the social, economic, and political dimensions of international high-stakes English language testing.