Pair used others to sit their English exams

Two candidates sitting English-language exams at Palmerston North's International Pacific College (IPC) have been caught using imposters to cheat.

One was a migrant trying to pass the language component of the citizenship application, the other was trying to pass University Entrance English.

An IPC International English Language Training System (IELTS) administrator, Marion Hilder, said the cases occurred in the past six months. They were caught by photo identification mismatch.

Mrs Hilder said it was possible, despite efforts, that others had slipped through the cracks.

She would not say where the two were from. She said most IELTS exam candidates were Chinese.

She knew of two other English exam imposter cases.

"I don't know if we are worse off than anywhere else."

Massey University is the only other IELTS examination provider in Palmerston North.

English Language Centre administrator Helen Thomson said she had not heard of any cheating.

The IELTS tests are run under guidelines set by Education Australia, also known as IDP.

A spokesman for Education Australia said that despite its rigorous testing process some "substitute candidates" were likely to get through.

"Nothing is 100 per cent. We are forever reviewing security."

- NZPA