Education

Why English language testing matters for UK higher education

Published

4 hours ago

July 11, 2025

The UK is at a pivotal moment when it comes to the English language tests it uses to help decide who can enter the country to study, work, invest and innovate. 

The government’s new industrial strategy offers a vision for supporting high-value and high-growth sectors. These sectors – from advanced manufacturing and creative industries, to life sciences, clean energy and digital – will fuel the UK’s future growth and productivity. All of them need to attract global talent, and to have a strong talent pipeline, particularly from UK universities.

This summer’s immigration white paper set out plans for new English language requirements across a broader range of immigration routes. It comes as the Home Office intends to introduce a new English language test to provide a secure and robust assessment of the skills of those seeking to study and work in the UK.

In this context, the UK faces a challenge: can we choose to raise standards and security in English tests while removing barriers for innovators?

The answer has to be ‘yes’. To achieve, as the industrial strategy puts it, “the security the country needs… while shaping markets for innovation,” will take vision. That clearly needs government, universities and employers to align security and growth. There are no short-cuts if we are serious about both. 

The sectors that will power the industrial strategy – most notably in higher education, research and innovation – are also those most boxed in by competing pressures. These pressures include the imperative to attract world-class talent and the need to show that those they help bring to the country are well-qualified.

But these pressures do not have to box us in. We need not compromise on security or growth. We can achieve both.

Getting English testing right is a critical part of the solution. That means putting quality and integrity first. We should demand world-class security and safeguards – drawing on the most sophisticated combination of human and artificial intelligence. It also means deploying proven innovations – those that have been shown to work in other countries, like Australia and Canada, that have adjusted their immigration requirements while achieving talent-led growth.

Decision-making around English language testing needs to be driven by evidence – especially at a time of flux. And findings from multiple studies tells us that those students who take high-quality and in-depth tests demonstrate greater academic resilience and performance. When it comes to high-stake exams, we should be setting the highest expectations for test-takers so they can thrive in the rapidly changing economy that the country is aspiring to build.

The government and high-growth sectors, including higher education, have an opportunity to grow public confidence, prioritise quality and attain sustainable growth if we get this right.

Decision-making around English language testing needs to be driven by evidence – especially at a time of flux

International students at UK universities contribute £42 billion a year to the economy. (As an aside, the English language teaching sector – a thriving British export industry – is worth an additional £2 billion a year, supporting 40,000 jobs.) Almost one-in-five NHS staff come from outside the UK.

More than a third of the UK’s fastest-growing startups have at least one immigrant co-founder. Such contributions from overseas talent are indispensable to the country’s future success – and the industrial strategy’s “focus on getting the world’s brightest minds to relocate to the UK” is smart.

At Cambridge, we help deliver IELTS, the world’s most trusted English test. Over the decades, we’ve learned that quality, security and innovation reinforce one another. It’s why we draw on our constantly evolving knowledge of linguistics to make sure our tests assess the real-life language skills people use in actual academic and professional environments.

Technological innovations and human intelligence must be central to the test-taking experience: from content creation to exam supervision to results delivery. Having one without the other would be reckless.  

We should deploy the latest data science and AI advances to spot risks, pinpoint potential fraud, and act intelligently to guarantee a system that’s fair for all. IELTS draws on proven AI and data science developments to prevent fraud and improve the information available to institutions like universities, businesses and UKVI. 

As the government takes its industrial strategy, immigration reforms and English testing changes forward, it’s vital that departments coordinate on the shared opportunities, and tap into the best evidence available. 

This is complex work. It requires a collaborative spirit, creative thinking and deep expertise. Fortunately, the UK has plenty of that.

About the author: Pamela Baxter is managing director, IELTS at Cambridge University Press & Assessment

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Education

How AI Saved My GPA

Published

1 hour ago

July 11, 2025

The Editors

How AI Saved My GPA

The story of a struggling student, a midnight discovery, and the tool that changed everything.

I Was Failing.

Not metaphorically—actually failing.

Two midterms, three overdue assignments, and an essay on “Global Economic Collapse” that hadn’t moved past the title.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care—I did. I wanted to do better. But between Zoom fatigue, part-time shifts, and the endless ping of social media distractions, my brain checked out.

I was drowning in information, paralyzed by pressure.

And then, one late night, I met my secret study partner—an AI assistant.

The Accidental Discovery

It started, of course, with a TikTok.

One of those fast-talking hoodie-wearing types saying:

“If you’re still writing your own essays, you’re doing it wrong.”

I rolled my eyes. Classic clickbait.

But curiosity won—and I watched.

He typed into a clean little chatbox:

“Explain quantum physics to a high school student.”

Seconds later, a structured, clear, casual explanation popped up.

Smarter than anything I’d seen in a textbook.

I blinked. Replayed. Watched again.

This wasn’t cheating. This was genius.

From Chaos to Clarity

That same night, I gave it a try.

I opened the tab and typed:

“Summarize the main causes of the 2008 financial crisis.”

Boom.

“The 2008 financial crisis was caused by a mix of irresponsible lending practices, risky mortgage-backed securities, and a lack of regulation in the banking system…”

No fluff. No filler. Just facts—fast, clear, and organized.

In under five seconds, I had the perfect starting point for my overdue economics paper.

More Than Just Homework Help

What shocked me wasn’t just the speed.

It was how the AI actually helped me learn.

Whenever I didn’t understand something—like “compound interest” or “inflation”—I’d ask it to explain like I was five. Or in meme form. Or with emojis.

And it worked. Every time.

For the first time in months, studying became… fun.

(I know. Weird.)

The Turning Point

Two weeks later, I turned in my econ essay.

I’d written every word—but used AI to structure my arguments, clean up my grammar, and double-check my citations.

Grade: A-

My professor’s comment?

“Clear argument, excellent organization, strong grasp of the topic.”

I laughed. Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know what a mortgage-backed security was.

Keeping It Ethical

Look—I get the concern.

People hear “AI does your homework” and immediately think cheating.

But here’s the truth:

AI didn’t write my work.

It helped me understand how to write it better.

It didn’t think for me.

It helped me think more clearly.

Still, I set myself some boundaries:

No copy-pasting full answers. Ever.

Use it as a guide, not a ghostwriter.

Always fact-check. Even AI gets things wrong.

Used responsibly, it wasn’t a crutch.

It was a compass.

My New Study Routine

Now, my process is simple:

Pick a topic.

Ask AI to explain it.

Break down the complex stuff.

Organize the ideas.

Write my version—with confidence.

No more blank-page anxiety.

No more endless Googling.

Just fast support, smart insights, and space for my brain to breathe.

The Bigger Picture

I realized something else too.

This isn’t just about me. It’s the future of learning.

AI is our generation’s calculator moment.

Remember when teachers feared calculators would “ruin” math?

They didn’t. They revolutionized it.

Same with AI.

It can level the playing field—for students without tutors, for second-language learners, for anyone just trying to survive in an overwhelming system.

AI isn’t a threat to education.

It’s a tool—and if we use it right, it’s a game-changer.

The Takeaway

So yeah, maybe it sounds dramatic to say:

“AI saved my GPA.”

But it did.

Not by doing my work—

But by showing me that I could do it.

That I was capable, smart, and just needed help sorting through the noise.

Sometimes, that’s all we need.

💡 Final Thought:

The future isn’t about memorizing facts.

It’s about using the tools at our fingertips to turn information into real understanding.

And with AI as our study partner, maybe… we’re just getting started.

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Education

The Picture Show : NPR

Published

2 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Lee V. Gaines

Jamilah McBryde works up a sweat to cut weight in preparation for the 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Wrestling National Championship, hosted in Wichita, Kan., in March.

Geoff Stellfox for NPR

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Geoff Stellfox for NPR

Jamilah, Zaynah and Latifah McBryde never expected to become college athletes, much less change the rules of American women’s wrestling.

The sisters are devout Muslims who were homeschooled and grew up wrestling one another in Buffalo, N.Y.

“We always said we would never be able to wrestle in college,” said Jamilah, 22.

Coaches recognized their talent when they were teenagers, but they couldn’t wrestle with boys, nor could they wear the required wrestling singlet — due to their faith.

Eventually their passion for the sport – and their perseverance – led to rule changes allowing Muslim women to compete in full-body uniforms at collegiate and national levels.

The sisters based their initial uniforms off those developed for Iranian women wrestlers: a long-sleeved shirt with another shirt over it, and leggings underneath pants, along with a head covering.

Zaynah McBryde (right) battles with Samantha Barragan of Texas Wesleyan University at the 2025 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championship.

Geoff Stellfox for NPR

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Associate head wrestling coach Christian Flavin (center) and head coach Ashley Flavin (right) watch intently as Zaynah McBryde competes.

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“It started off kind of rough,” Zaynah, 19, said. “The more we trained and, like, started to try to compete, it was like, these hijabs aren’t staying on.”

Trainers and coaches offered helpful suggestions; the sisters now use velcro to keep their shirts tucked into their pants, and they tape their hijabs onto their heads.

“It’s like the people that we’ve met along the way, our coaches and athletic trainers have really helped develop the uniform,” Jamilah said.

These modest uniforms honor their faith, but they also sparked controversy. In 2022, when Latifah, 20, qualified to represent the U.S. at the Pan American Championships for Wrestling, United World Wrestling (UWW), which governs the sport at the international level, denied her request to wear the modified uniform. She ultimately wasn’t able to compete.

But college coaches were excited to recruit them. They recognized the sisters’ potential, though several coaches struggled when asked how they would handle referees who objected to the uniforms. The response from coaches at Life University in Marietta, Ga., stood out.

“The coaches at Life were the first ones that said, ‘If they’re on our team, they’re part of the family. We’re getting the rule changed,’ ” said Zaynah.

Life University associate head wrestling coach Christian Flavin, who is married to head coach Ashley Flavin, does an emotional check-in with his team on the eve of the 2025 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championship.

Geoff Stellfox for NPR

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Jamilah McBryde holds her coach’s son while teammate Megan Stottsberry and sister Latifah watch.

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“We really wanted to open that college door for them and give them the opportunity to keep competing at a high level,” said Ashley Flavin, the head coach of women’s wrestling at Life University.

Thanks to Flavin and other wrestling coaches’ efforts, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), one of the organizations that governs wrestling at American colleges, approved the modified uniforms in the summer of 2022.

That fall, the sisters enrolled at Life University, where they found a welcoming team culture.

Latifah McBryde leaves a final shake-out training session with teammates ahead of the 2025 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championship.

Geoff Stellfox for NPR

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Zaynah McBryde breaks her Ramadan fast with a traditional Iftar meal of dates. All three McBryde sisters maintained their Ramadan fast in the lead up to the tournament.

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“Girls on the team have the prayer app downloaded on their phones to tell us when prayer time is,” Jamilah said. “While there is a lot of negativity and people who don’t support us wrestling this way, there are a lot who do.”

Jamilah won her first national title last year, qualifying her for U.S. Olympic team trials — but that dream was shattered after UWW ruled that their modest uniforms created an unfair advantage.

The sisters and their coaches strongly disagree, arguing the uniforms are more likely a disadvantage. Flavin said the extra clothing means the sisters get hotter during competition. The sisters also said some competitors have tried to tear their hijabs off to gain an advantage.

But Jamilah said they’ve also had more positive experiences.

“There are people that we’ve wrestled against and our hijab will come off in the match, and they’ll stop wrestling and cover us and wait for our coach to come over and bring tape,” she explained.

Jamilah McBryde takes a breath during training ahead of the championship, which fell during Ramadan.

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Mustafa and Christine McBryde, the sisters’ parents, take Zaynah’s championship bracket home after the tournament.

Geoff Stellfox for NPR

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Geoff Stellfox for NPR

After the McBryde sisters advocated for change, USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport of wrestling in the U.S., changed its rules this year to allow modified uniforms. “I was just shocked,” Jamilah said. “Like, it actually happened. We did it.”

This year’s NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championship fell in March, during Ramadan, which meant the sisters trained and competed while fasting. Despite that added challenge, Zaynah and Latifah won the championship for their weight classes, and Jamilah finished second to a former Olympian.

Zaynah McBryde receives her plaque after winning the 2025 championship for her weight class.

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Though Olympic dreams remain out of reach due to international rules, the sisters are hopeful that will eventually change.

Zaynah McBryde (center) and sister Jamilah (right) celebrate with teammates after finding out that USA wrestling would let them compete in trials.

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“I’m just kind of content with the idea now that, like, OK, even if I don’t ever step on an Olympic stage … I’ve had a lasting impact on wrestling,” Latifah said. “Even if I’ve had a positive effect on one other Muslim girl to let her know that she’s capable of doing things and that she can be strong and modest and feminine — all at the same time — then I’ve done my job.”

All three sisters plan to stay involved in the sport after college; Zaynah and Latifah are interested in coaching. Jamilah doesn’t think she’ll follow that path, but she says wrestling isn’t something she can fully step away from, given her family’s love of the sport.

“I think it’s definitely going to be a part of our lives forever.”

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