Details of IELTS Academic Candidates in India, Pakistan and Philippines

The request was refused by British Council.

Dear British Council,

Please provide the following information in Microsoft Excel file format; the information requested is collected from the candidates when they fill IELTS registration form or is bound to be held by British Council as part of their records/statistics:

1. Total number of IELTS Academic test takers.
2. Total number of IELTS Academic test takers based on the following criteria:
a. Number of candidates who have written code Health and Social Services 09 or Nurses. (This information is collected through question 15 Occupation.)
b. Number of candidates who have written code For registration as a doctor 4 or For registration as a nurse (including CGFNS) 9. (This information is collected through question 16 Why are you taking the test.)
3. Number of candidates who have score a minimum of 7 in each of the 4 modules the first time they take the test.
4. Number of candidates who managed to achieve a minimum of 7 in each of the 4 modules on their subsequent attempts.

The above data for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 to date for IELTS Academic Candidates in India, Pakistan and Philippines given for each of the year requested please.

Yours faithfully,

A Nasir

FOIenquiriesadmin, British Council

Ref No: FOI/2015/79

 

1 October 2015

 

 

Dear A Nasir

 

Thank you for your request, submitted on 1 October 2015, to the British
Council.

 

Please note that your request is being dealt with under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered within 20 working
days (from the received date).

 

If you have any further queries about this request please do not hesitate
to contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any
future communications.

 

Yours Sincerely,               

 

 

Lyndsey Keogh | Information Policy Advisor: FOI | Global Information
Services

[1]http://www.britishcouncil.org/organisati...

 

[2]www.britishcouncil.org

 

 

 

 

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FOIenquiriesadmin, British Council

Case Reference: FOI/2015/79

Date 28 October 2015

Dear A Nasir

Thank you for your request for information dated 1 October 2015 concerning information about IELTS test takers in India, Pakistan and Philippines. Your request has been handled under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 and has been passed to me for reply.

I can confirm, under section 1 (1) (a) of the FOIA, that the British Council does hold the information you have requested however we withholding it as the exemption under section 43 (2) applies.

Section 43(2) allows a public authority to withhold information where it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

If we were to release the information you have requested it would reveal information about our operations such that our commercial interests, and our partners’ commercial interests, would be prejudiced.

The exemption for commercial interests is subject to the public interest test as stipulated by the Act, which means that the exemption can only be upheld if the public interest in doing so outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Whilst we acknowledge that there is a public interest in understanding our exams business and disclosure would facilitate transparency within our organisation in this case we feel that disclosure would put the British Council at a major disadvantage with competitors who are not obliged to disclose this type of information. It would also prejudice the relationship we have with our IELTS partners and is likely to damage their commercial interests.

On balance we believe that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Whilst we have refused your request in this instance, I would like to draw your attention to IELTS information which is already in the public domain, if you are interested. I have provided links to that information below.

http://www.ielts.org/researchers/analysi...
http://www.ielts.org/researchers.aspx

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

Freedom of Information Officer
Information Security and Governance
British Council
Bridgewater House
58 Whitworth Street
Manchester
M1 6BB
Email: [British Council request email]

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision at:

The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Lyndsey Keogh | Information Policy Advisor: FOI | Global Information Services
http://www.britishcouncil.org/organisati...

www.britishcouncil.org

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Dear British Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of British Council's handling of my FOI request 'Details of IELTS Academic Candidates in India, Pakistan and Philippines'.

I do do not agree with the statement given in your response that states: "Whilst we acknowledge that there is a public interest in understanding our exams business and disclosure would facilitate transparency within our organisation in this case we feel that disclosure would put the British Council at a major disadvantage with competitors who are not obliged to disclose this type of information. It would also prejudice the relationship we have with our IELTS partners and is likely to damage their commercial interests.

On balance we believe that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure."

British Council has a monopoly over IELTS exams in these countries and release of this information is in no way going to put British Council at any major disadvantage as they have no comptetion for this and therefore none of its partners commercial interests is going to be affected in any negative way. Release of this information is in the public interest.

So please review my request and release the requested info.

Thank you

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...

Yours faithfully,

A Nasir

UK-FreedomfInformat, British Council

Ref No: IR/FOI/2015/79

Dear A Nasir

Thank you for your email dated 21 November 2015 requesting an internal review in relation to your FOI request for information about IELTS test takers in India, Pakistan and Philippines (ref: FOI/2015/79).

The internal review will be carried out by the Secretary to the British Council, which will enable a fresh decision to be taken with reconsideration of all the factors relevant to the issues and will be answered within twenty working days.

If you have any further queries about this request, do not hesitate to contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Lyndsey Keogh | Information Governance Advisor (Disclosures & Records Management) | Global Information Services
http://www.britishcouncil.org/organisati...

www.britishcouncil.org

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Coutts, Alison (British Council), British Council

1 Attachment

Dear A Nasir

Please see my response attached.

Yours sincerely

Alison Coutts
Secretary to the British Council

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