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Professional Credentials Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

Nov 7, 2025

The responses for "Professional Credentials" consist of 6 questions and are part of the assessment framework for the IELTS General Reading test. Candidates are given 10 minutes to finish the reading responses related to "Professional Credentials." This segment of the IELTS reading examination includes various question types, such as selecting no more than two words.

The responses for "Professional Credentials" provide a detailed overview of how Immigrants to North America should get their foreign qualifications officially assessed and translated to ensure proper recognition by employers and institutions. Doing so improves job prospects, salary potential, and integration into a diverse and inclusive workforce. For further practice with comparable reading evaluations, candidates can check the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Professional Credentials Reading Answers

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Professional Credentials Reading Answers

Advice for Immigrants

As an immigrant to North America, you will need to ensure that employers and organisations such as colleges and universities properly recognise your international credentials. These may be trade certificates, but also educational qualifications such as degrees or diplomas, that you have completed or partially-completed.

It is common for hiring personnel to have little or no training in evaluating an academic background earned outside of North America. But at the same time, employers see formal education as very important when hiring. Education is a hiring requirement for 60% of employment opportunities, but 40% of human resources staff say that if they do not know a lot about the value of documents attained elsewhere, they will not recognise them.

Research has shown that sometimes immigrants start with a lower salary level than people who have completed their training in North America. You may want to apply for employment opportunities with companies whose staff understands your situation or, more importantly, who know where to send you to get your North American qualifications. If you need to complete your training in North America, apprenticeships leading to skilled trades are in high demand. Apprenticeship training is a hands-on program where about 10% is in a classroom setting at community colleges, and 90% of the training is on-the-job. The training involves working for an employer and earning income during the training period.

Sometimes there is a limit of 5 years for training. You may be able to use this training toward college or university credits or education. There is a good potential for long-term job security after completion of apprenticeship training.

If you earned your papers outside of North America, you will need to get them translated if you want to work or study It is important for you that your education is assessed by an accredited assessment service when you are applying for jobs, and particularly if the job posting has an education requirement. As well, it is recommended that you include a copy of the report with your cover letter. It is suggested that you provide this information early and do not wait until the time you actually meet with the employer. Getting job interviews is more than 50% of the whole process of securing employment; and with an evaluation report, you want to make sure that employers are screening you 'in' rather than 'out' Establishing yourself in North America is a difficult process, but companies do consider integrating immigrants into the workforce important to the workplace mosaic. Employers are making significant progress in improving diversity at work.

QUESTIONS 15-20

CHOOSE NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS FROM THE TEXT FOR EACH ANSWER.

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS IN BOXES 15-20 ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET.

15. New arrivals to North America need to make sure that their academic qualifications or their ………. are accepted.

Answer: trade certificates

Supporting statement: “These may be trade certificates, but also educational qualifications such as degrees or diplomas...”

Keywords: trade certificates, qualifications

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 2

Explanation: Immigrants must ensure their trade certificates and educational qualifications are recognised in North America.

16. A significant number of companies view ………. as a major requirement.

Answer: formal education

Supporting statement: “Employers see formal education as very important when hiring.”

Keywords: important, hiring requirement

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 2

Explanation: Many employers consider formal education an essential requirement when recruiting employees.

17. People educated in North America may initially be offered a higher ………… than immigrants.

Answer: salary level

Supporting statement: “Research has shown that sometimes immigrants start with a lower salary level than people who have completed their training in North America.”

Keywords: immigrants, lower, training in North America

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 1

Explanation: Immigrants often begin with a lower salary level compared to locally trained workers.

18. ……………….. courses often provide more job stability.

Answer: apprenticeship training

Supporting statement: “There is a good potential for long-term job security after completion of apprenticeship training.”

Keywords: long-term job security, completion

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Last Line

Explanation: Apprenticeship training is linked to long-term employment stability for skilled workers.

19. Most of the effort to find work is spent trying to obtain …………………

Answer: job interviews

Supporting statement: “Getting job interviews is more than 50% of the whole process of securing employment.”

Keywords: getting, securing employment

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 4

Explanation: The majority of the job search effort focuses on securing job interviews.

20. As more newcomers enter the workforce, ……………………… increases.

Answer: workplace diversity

Supporting statement: “Employers are making significant progress in improving diversity at work.”

Keywords: improving diversity, workplace

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Last Line

Explanation: As more immigrants join, workplace diversity continues to increase.

Check IELTS reading samples:

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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