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Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:35 pm Post subject: A prickly question...

Quick question for all you IELTS/Cambridge examiners out there. Have you noticed the following phenomenon during your duties as an examiner? Speaking test starts, candidate is clearly a little nervous. Nothing unusual in that. Except that after five minutes there is a big blotchy blush of a rash erupting all along her throat, slowly spreading out and downwards to her upper chest area. Ends up looking like an angry map of the British Empire, and presumably continues beyond the neckline of garment. This seems to be true for male candidates too, though different attire doesn't allow for gauging the full extent of the outbreak.

Nearly all the candidates I have seen this happen to have been Russian, or a related Slavic nationality. Is this specific to them, or does IELTS induce some sort of allergic reaction globally? Should the Main Suite come with a health warning?

I may have posted this question here before, or on another forum. Can't remember. Nor the answers either. Must be the good water taking its toll...

Dedicated · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK

Sasha,

Yes, this is quite a common phenomenon at IELTS exams, and not only in Russia. I have witnessed this amongst students in a variety of countries and in a variety of situations.

This is involuntary and is caused by anxiety or stress. It's a kind of social anxiety which these students are suffering from in a "performance "situation. The person's sympathetic nervous system causes blood vessels to open wide on the face, neck, ears and upper chest.As the student is sitting, there is no "escape", otherwise this would be the instinctual fight/flight mechanism.

It's called idiopathic craniofacial erythema.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Arab students seem to be immune.

MotherF · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:47 pm Post subject:

Mexican students usually shake, both genders. However my best friend from my college days (American) would get that rash you are describing when she nervous. I don't know that she was of slavic decent, but she could easily be.

BenE · Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Posts: 321

Asian (Vietnamese) students shake a lot. Some even start to cry. I honestly don't try to make them cry. Sad

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:53 am Post subject:

RoscoeTX · Joined: 06 Jul 2012 Posts: 56 Location: Moscow, Russia

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 6:41 am Post subject:

No, no, no. These are touchy-feely Cambridge tests we are talking about here. Not the typical barking aggression of Russian language test. Yet, still the rash. Have you really never witnessed this yourself? Must be something wrong with Pearson's then, hic!

RoscoeTX · Joined: 06 Jul 2012 Posts: 56 Location: Moscow, Russia

Ha! Well, can't say that I've seen this rash your talking about. Mostly been testing YLs and teens, but in my humbled biased opinion the speaking section of the YL Pearson exam may be a bit less overwhelming for the candidates because of it's group format and 'game'-like feel.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:35 am Post subject:

Plenty of teens take Cambridge Main Suite in Moscow.Candidates are paired. They can display prickly skin too. Maybe your teeny candidates just do not take Pearson's seriously, hic!

Actually, I dunno much about Pearson's tests. Where'd you get training to test for them?

RoscoeTX · Joined: 06 Jul 2012 Posts: 56 Location: Moscow, Russia

Seems that we have a Cambridge loyalist in our midst....well I'll be sure not to hold it against ya partner!

Got my Pearson exam training at a company called 'Language 360', which is a local English language textbook distributor and close partner of Pearson's.

By the way, we are always looking for more examiners. However, I'm not sure how your strong armed examining tactics may go over)

Plus, we are looking to make a deeper foray into Business English exams and are in need of examiners in this field as well.

Check out this site for some info

http://www.language360.ru/

litterascriptor · Joined: 17 Jan 2013 Posts: 360

Maybe your testing center has a serious problem with asbestos?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:48 am Post subject:

Nope. Don't think so. I have seen this in several test centres, yet only the candidates exhibit this symptom, and none of the admin staff or other testers. Only happens during the test itself, as described above. Doubt that it is environmental. Even certain timid students in ordinary lessons can flush quite vividly when they get flustered.

Strange that only a few other posters have observed this.

litterascriptor · Joined: 17 Jan 2013 Posts: 360

I've seen my students get quite nervous to the point of stammering and shaking but nothing like you've described. Perhaps you should encourage them to take a few drinks before the exam?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 11:12 am Post subject:

That's not a bad idea. I'd let them have a swig from my hip-flask, but I'm not sure whether or not they don't have something contagious...