I Got Rejected on the Day of IELTS Exams

The tiresome process of testing one’s academic improvement or general knowledge that goes by the name exams is by any means the most sadistic ‘scholarly’ activity man has ever created.

It causes a mere person to become subjected under circumstances that generates after effects such as temporary mental anguish and physical deterioration but with the promise of a bright future once you’re able to ace it.

And IELTs wasn’t an exemption to such cruelty even though it ‘only’ tested my English abilities.

The hardship it caused me last October 21 was definitely unsparing although not if I had taken that little thing called Identification ‘ID’ in my email one month before seriously…dammit.

Whenever I reach the part of a novel where the protagonist successfully evades imminent predicament in his life, I can’t help but shake my head at the methods of the writer to prolong the story by patching up dramatic sequences because lo and behold, the character after some pages becomes subjected to another far-fetched situation that is highly unlikely.

So imagine the feeling I had the moment the Indian woman in her late forties flat out said, ‘I can’t take you in’ on the very day of the exams even after I knew I was definitely sure everything was complete.

As a matter of fact, the night before the exams, I made sure everything was in my folder, the receipt of the payment, photocopy of my passport, and another photocopy of my resident card plus the original one. On top of that, I didn’t use the internet as much as I did because I wanted my head and eyes to be free of stress and strain! I even took out my blackberry’s battery for crying out loud the moment I was about to step into the centre because I was scared it would ring again the way it did like the last time while I took the entrance test in De La Salle- Manila.

And then I come in and someone says that without batting an eyelid?!

For a moment or 4, I literally stared at her with unbelief in my eyes while in synchrony sizing her up if she was serious or not after still rejecting the photocopied ones I was oh so ready to hand her with confidence.

Then when I was positive enough to figure that she was serious, I did the smartest thing I could think of.

I popped my head out from the railing looking towards the cafe couches below, scanned for my dad who looked worried again the moment he saw me because he knew there was trouble again.

In the end, after being rejected I was still able to write my test whilst praying and calming my pitiful nerves. Also, dad was able to retrieve my passport and was able to give it on time at 12 pm since that was the deadline they gave us considering the fact that it was a weekend.

Moral of the Story:

1. Always be keen on instructions. Don’t forget to double check.

2. Be prepared with life’s plot twists. (Rational/Emotional)

3. Befriend people with connections.

4. Most importantly, pray and believe.