April 8, 2021
James Uche remembers how he frantically fought against a deadline to submit an English proficiency certificate to secure a scholarship for an undergraduate biotech degree at McMaster University in Canada.
His full ride to McMaster was being sponsored by the St. Michael Foundation. When it offered him its international scholarship in mid-January, the foundation gave him two options to meet the English requirement. He could take the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, a common standardized test for non-native English speakers, or an alternative recommended by St. Michael. Called the Online International English Proficiency Examination (OIEPE), it was touted in its website as the world’s premier English language test for international study, work, and immigration, accepted by more than 11,000 universities in over 150 countries.