Every year, milions of people around the world sit down to do English language exams like IELTS, TOEFL, and the Duolingo English Test

The results of these exams are accepted by governments and other institutions all over the world for official purposes, but only the very highest scores are actually useful

For that reason, students spend months to years and often a lot of money to prepare for these exams

And because of the cost, many people in developing countries only have one chance

I am about to attempt last year's exam from the IOL (International Linguistics Olympiad)

Okay, so, I've finished the test, and I've checked my answers and I got 0% correct

So right now I should feel pretty stupid

I mean, I teach languages as a job

I kind of consider myself a bit of a grammar nerd, and I speak two languages, and this is just impossible

It reveals a fundamental problem with most language exams

These types of exams test problem-solving and logical thinking skills, not communication skills

Every day, all over the world, learners put their faith in exams like IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo English Test to measure their language ability

For many people, these exams can influence the futre of their lives because the results can allow them to migrate to another country, or study at university, or get their dream job

But these exams do not test language ability

They test exam ability

The result is that people who are excellent and confident communicators can get poor marks in these exams, and people who are unable to communicate at all, are able to get high marks

They don't test communication skills, they test logic and memorization

Many learners expect that the exam score will accurately represent their langauge ability, but when they leave the controlled environment of the classroom, they discover that their high TOEFL score, or their B2 certificate doesn't give them what they expected

In the real world, they suddently discover they have serious problems communicating in situations that they thought would be easy

But the main reason you should care is that the whole language teaching industry is based on these exams

From teacher training, to teaching materials, to classroom activities, it is all influenced in some small or big way by these exams

And that influence shifts everything from communication skills, to exam skills

So, do you want to be an English speaker, or an English exam expert?