IELTS - English Proficiency Exam verification problem

[4fca0922]

I hope this message finds you well. Approximately two weeks ago, I uploaded my IELTS certification to my profile for verification. As of now, the status still appears as unverified. I understand that verifications can sometimes take time; however, I am keen on ensuring that my profile reflects my credentials accurately to potential clients.

Could you please provide an update on the status of this verification? If there are any additional steps or clarifications required from my side, kindly let me know, and I will attend to them promptly.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I appreciate the platform and the opportunities it provides, and I am eager to make sure my profile is as complete and accurate as possible.

Best regards,

Hamza A.

[williamtcooper]

Hamza,

Click the Support link on the top of this page for help.

[ArjayM]

Hi Hamza,

Thank you for reaching out, and we sincerely apologize for the delay with the review of your certification. I've escalated your post to the appropriate team for further review. They'll surely look into this and provide updates as soon as possible. You may also expect an update from the team through email or your ticket on this page . We seek your patience and utmost understanding while we sort this out for you.

[4fca0922]

Hi Arjay,

Firstly, I appreciate your prompt response and the steps you're taking to escalate the issue for further review.

I also recieved an email from support team saying "We would like to  inform you that we were unable to verify your IELTS certification because it appears that the TRF number that you provided must be incorrect or was issued more than three years ago. Please note that we verify IELTS - English Proficiency exam issued less than three years ago"

However, I'd like to express a concern I have about the underlying policy. It seems that the timeline of when a user creates their Upwork profile has an unintended impact on the verification status of their certifications. For instance, if I had created my Upwork profile shortly after receiving my IELTS certification and had it verified at that time, it would still be deemed verified today, even after 10 years or so. On the other hand, if I add the same certification years later, it remains unverified, even though the certificate was obtained in the same year as those whose certifications are now verified.

The implications of this policy may inadvertently penalize users like me, who acquired certifications at the same time as others, yet face barriers in verification simply due to the timeline of profile creation and certificate addition. The spirit of verification should ideally focus on the validity of the certificate itself rather than when it was added to the platform.

I hope Upwork can take this feedback into consideration, as I believe this could lead to a fairer verification system for all users, regardless of when they join the platform.

Thank you for your understanding and assistance on this matter.

Best regards,

Hamza A.

[AndreaG]

Hi Hamza,

Apologies for the delay in our response as we were checking some details with our team. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this policy and understand how you are concerned with the inconveniences of the three-year period when it comes to Upwork. That said, we would like to confirm that this is actually a policy on IELTS's side. When we receive a certification from you, that was issued more than three years ago, we are unable to get any verification from IELTS about it.

[4fca0922]

Hi Andrea

Thank you for clarifying the situation. I understand that the three-year verification limitation is a policy from IELTS's side, and not directly from Upwork.

While I appreciate the complexities that platforms like Upwork face when working with external institutions, I believe that the policy should be applied consistently to all users. If my IELTS certificate, which is more than three years old, cannot be verified due to this limitation, then logically, previously verified certificates of other users that are now more than three years old should also be reconsidered. The policy should be the same for everyone. Either all older certificates are accepted and validated, or none are. I am ready and willing to provide my certificate details for this verification (see attachment).

It's also worth noting the potential discrepancy that arises when users with older profiles continue to display their verified IELTS scores, while newer members, who might've taken the test at the same time, can't get their scores verified due to adding them later.

While I recognize this might be out of Upwork's direct control, clearer communication about these nuances would certainly help set the right expectations for professionals wishing to highlight their credentials on the platform.

Thank you for your assistance and understanding. I trust that Upwork will consider these points and strive for a more consistent policy application for the benefit of its entire user community.

Best regards,

Hamza A.