The International English Language Testing Sysem (IELTS) is an internationally recognised English language testing system taken by over 1.4 million candidates each year to start their journeys in to international education and employment. Testing candidates' listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, achieving a sufficient IELTS score is a core requirement for a large portion of visas in Australia.

The following article from The Australian uncovers a story where a member of staff from a Western Australia university has been jailed for taking bribes from students who had failed the IELTS test, accessing the university's test centre computer system to manipulate students failed test results to pass levels.

A FORMER university staffer who took bribes to falsify English language test results to help foreign students applying for Australian residency has been jailed for two years.

Kok Keith Low, 32, was sentenced in the Perth District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 15 counts of accepting a bribe as a public officer over a 10-month period in 2009-10.

He was employed at the time as an administrative support officer at Curtin University's English Language Centre which administered tests for the International English Testing System (IELTS).

The court heard that Low received about $25,000 in total for accessing the centre's computer system to change test results to pass levels for students who had failed the test.

Applicants to the Immigration Department for permanent residency and work or student visas must prove their competence under the IELTS with an average score of seven being a pass.

Low and eight others were charged over the scam following an investigation by Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).

[Sentencing Judge Michael Bowden] said the public was entitled to expect public officers to act honestly and a jail term was necessary to deter other public officials from behaving corruptly.

Judge Bowden jailed Low for two years, making him eligible for parole after 12 months.

Eight other people face sentencing over the scam, including intermediaries who took larger cuts than Low from the thousands of dollars paid by foreign students to have their test scores changed.

CCC spokesman Trevor Wynn said yesterday outside court that Low's sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence.

``Mr Low essentially preyed on vulnerable people, there are a lot of people as we know who want very much to live in Australia,'' Mr Wynn said.

``He took advantage of that vulnerability for, essentially, profit and today he has received justice for his part in that.''

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has been reviewing the residency status of those involved in the scam and those whose scores were fraudulently changed.

Supplying false documents or information can lead to residency, visas and citizenship being revoked.

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