CQUniversity’s English Language Centre in Rockhampton has recently been awarded the IELTS Australia Award for ‘Management and Examining in Extreme Conditions’.

Every year IELTS Australia recognises and acknowledges achievements of testing centres from around the world.  Tracey Daffey from CQUniversity Rockhampton attended the annual IELTS Administrators Conference in Melbourne recently and was very proud to accept the award on behalf of the IELTS team. Tracey was also presented with her five-year Service Medal whilst at the Conference.
Tracey and Gillian with the IELTS Award

When Rockhampton was cut off by floods late last year and earlier this year, scheduled testing was significantly affected. With the Rockhampton Centre being the only testing centre between Brisbane and Cairns, it is a huge region to cover and, with roads cut off both north and south, candidates could not travel to Rockhampton for their exams.

Some staff members – including Tracey Daffey and Gillian Holgate – were stranded in Rockhampton with only the clothes they were wearing at the time. They stayed with family and friends to ensure the exam went ahead with the candidates who managed to make it through for the exam.

Exam day brought with it a myriad of challenges that needed to be overcome – including candidates and staff not being able to reach the testing centre and communication with IELTS head office limited due to phone line damage.

Staff in Rockhampton overcame all of these challenges, leading to their IELTS Award for ‘management and examining in extreme conditions’.