Investigating washback to the learner from the IELTS test in the Japanese tertiary context

Results: Test results revealed a significant increase in speaking ability, with more significant increases in speaking and listening for participants who reported preparing more intensely for the test. Survey results showed that students focused significantly more on speaking and writing, and significantly less on reading, when preparing for the second test, and those who prepared most intensely also focused significantly more on listening. A qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed a complex array of factors related to learner perceptions and their access to resources, which are highly dependent on learners’ sociocultural and educational context, and which shape washback to the learner.