As reported in vnexpress.net, IELTS preparation courses and the exams themselves are proving lucrative for English teachers and testing centres in Vietnam. As an example, parents are paying VND200,000 (approx £7) per hour for an average of 80 hours on a course with YOLA, an English language school chain which operates out of 16 centres in the country. Private tutors are also cashing in, with one in HCMC quoted as making over VND30 million (approx £1,000) per month, Considering the average salary in Ho Chi Minh City in 2020 (the latest year figures are available) was around VND6,500,000 (approx £225) per month, this is pretty good going.
The British Council, which offers the test, is charging VND4,750,000 (approx £165) to take it and places fill up fast.
The reason for the huge demand? More and more Vietnamese universities are now requiring a high IELTS score for admission, with those achieving 6.5 or above being given preference.
