Dear friends, should I take the IELTS test in Vietnam in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?

It is recommended to go to Hanoi

Guidelines for taking the IELTS test in Hanoi BC, Vietnam

The author went to Hanoi BC, Vietnam to take the UKVI IELTS test on January 21, 2017.

About registration

Registration If you have a visa or master card to pay, you can register on the official website yourself.

The official website is: https://www.britishcouncil.vn/en/exam/ielts. After checking the exam position yourself, fill it out according to the steps. It is not difficult. If you find it troublesome, Taobao has an agent to register, which is convenient. Yes, generally a handling fee of 50-100 yuan will be charged.

Should I apply for BC or IDP? The first thing I heard is that if you are in a hurry to get good grades, it is best to apply for BC. Second, BC’s written and oral exams are held in the same place and even the office, and there is no need to sign in a day in advance. My friend who went the same way to register for IDP needed to go to the office to sign in one day in advance. At the same time, the office, written test and oral test were not in the same place. The BC office is right next to the CWD Hotel. If you have any questions, ask in advance, such as express delivery of transcripts, etc. It is closed on Sundays. But some people say that the scores of IDP are relatively high, so it depends on the individual whether to choose BC or IDP. The score of the original poster has not been released yet, so it is difficult to say. Now I just want to save my character.

How to get to Hanoi?

Because the original poster was looking for cheap air tickets, I flew there. Based on experience, it is relatively cheaper to choose a round-trip air ticket directly from Fliggy Travel.

Another common way is to go to Nanning, Guangxi first, and then take a train from Nanning. You can buy train tickets on Taobao or in China. However, train tickets from Hanoi to Nanning can only be purchased in Vietnam, so it is recommended to buy them on Taobao in advance. If you take the train, you need to go through the customs at Youyi Pass. I heard that you have to queue up twice, and each queue lasts about 2 hours. There is a fast pass at Youyi Pass (while waiting in line, a group of middle-aged women asked) , about 60RMB more will be paid. Because taking the train is more troublesome, I chose to fly.

As for the custom of tipping when passing customs, I was not tipped when I got off the plane and went through customs. I heard that it is also confiscated at the Friendship Checkpoint now. If you are worried, bring an extra 10 or 20 yuan. In terms of business, Vietnam is very corrupt and there is collusion between officials, so if you are asked to tip to pass the customs, they charge RMB and the fee is not high, so just give it.

About the examination room and hotel

Because I signed up for UKVI IELTS in BC, my hotel was the examination room hotel, which was at the CWD Hotel. The examination center is in Xihu District, and the surrounding accommodation is relatively more expensive than the Hoan Kiem Lake tourist area. After a comparison, I found that the examination center hotel is actually the most affordable.

The address is: 20 Thuy Khue Street, Tay Ho District CWD Hotel

So I just stayed at the CWD Hotel, which is definitely the cheapest on Agoda, about 300RMB a night.

The hotel environment is quite good. The West Lake is right outside the hotel. It is quiet and hygienic and suitable for exam preparation. On the morning of the exam, I went over to sign in around 8:15, so I didn’t rush. The only drawback is that there are really not many places to eat around and they are all small shops.

The examination room was in a hotel-like conference hall. Basically 90% of the people were Chinese. It felt like Vietnam was about to fall like Thailand. The examination room is air-conditioned, so it is recommended to bring extra coats. There is mineral water on everyone's desk, so there is no need to bring water. There are headphones for listening. The discipline in the examination room is very strict. There are projection reminder times. Follow the host's instructions during the process and do not move around without authorization. Usually, you sign in on the fourth floor in the morning, and then take the exam on the third floor. The speaking time is announced during the written test. The speaking time is basically determined and will not be advanced like in Thailand. The location of the oral exam is also the location of the written test in the morning, and it seems to be only two rooms. . .

So taking all the conditions into account, I personally recommend taking the exam in Bangkok, Thailand. =. The food in Vietnam is mediocre and the traffic is terrible. .

About visa

Visa is very simple. It is the cheapest and most convenient to apply on Taobao. I clicked on visa on Fliggy APP and chose the first travel agency with the most people. handle. You only need to take a passport photo and send it electronically, and the visa will be issued smoothly the next day. The price is around 260 yuan.

About phone cards

I personally strongly recommend buying them on Taobao in China, because one is about 100 yuan at Hanoi Airport. But you can buy a 7-day unlimited traffic card on Taobao for about 50 yuan. Vietnam mobile phone cards now require real-name registration, so before going to Taobao, confirm with the seller whether real-name is required to avoid being unable to use it.

6. What APP is needed?

I personally strongly recommend installing Google Maps. You can check various routes on Google Maps such as how to walk and how to take public transportation.

7. Exchange RMB for Vietnamese Dong

You can exchange it at the airport, but the exchange rate at the airport is not high, about 1:3000. If the amount to be exchanged is not large, you can exchange it at the airport. . You can also get it at an ATM. There is no handling fee for the Hua Xia Card overseas. For other ATMs, I personally think the handling fee is quite high. I heard from friends that the exchange rate would be better if you go to a hotel in the city, so this is a matter of judgment. The calculation of money is roughly the Vietnamese dong minus the last three zeros and divided by three. Vietnamese people are accustomed to removing the last three zeros when speaking. For example, they say 30,000 as 30.

8. About the transportation at Hanoi Airport

There are generally three types of transportation out of the airport: taxi, bus, and minibus

(1) For taxis, the normal price to the city is about 80 yuan (about 250 thousand VND) Reasonable price), but generally taxi drivers will rip you off for more than 100 yuan. The most recommended taxi company is MAI LINH. The taxis are green, green, green! ! Next is HA NOI GROUP. They are all relatively formal companies, but even formal companies will have shady drivers. Please confirm the fare with the taxi driver in advance and ensure that the bridge toll is included. The journey takes about 45-60 minutes. When taking a taxi near Hoan Kiem Lake, try to stop taxis running on the road. It is best not to take a car parked on the roadside, because it is likely to be a black taxi. This was introduced by a girl studying in Vietnam on the Internet. The taxi driver’s number is 0974847872. The taxi company he belongs to is TAXI DAI NAM. It only costs 200,000 VND from the city to Noi Bai Airport.

< p> (2) MINI BUS, this is the airport bus. The regular minibus is purple-white, purple-white! ! For 40,000 VND per person, it will be sent to the Vietnam Airlines headquarters near Hoan Kiem Lake (in principle, there will be buses when there are flights taking off and landing) (SO 1 QUANG TRUNG, HOAN KIEM). When the bus is full, the waiting time is not certain. When I went there, the departure time of the Minibus had not yet arrived, so I took the gray and black one, which was supposed to be private. When I arrived at Hoan Kiem Lake, it was an exaggerated price of 100,000 VND per person. Later, we got it. 50 thousand VND. Then I went to Hoan Kiem Lake and took the bus for about 10 minutes to the CWD Hotel (Google map has the route).

(3) For public transportation, go to the right hand side after exiting the airport and you will see the bus stop sign. From Hanoi Airport, you can take bus No. 7 or 17 into downtown Hanoi. Prepare change in advance. By the way, their buses have cashiers, so it is recommended that you use Google Maps to confirm with the cashier after getting on the bus, because their bus station announcements are only in Vietnamese and cannot be understood, so it is best to talk to the cashier. Station reminds you to avoid sitting past your station.

9. About transcript delivery

I found this online.

10. About some attractions in Hanoi

The public transportation in Hanoi is underdeveloped, so you need to walk most of the time. If you hit. Hanoi is very small, basically only about 10 yuan. Remember to choose a taxi from Merrill Lynch, which is a green taxi and is more formal. If anything else, I’ll trick you without negotiation

As for the tourist attractions, I think Hanoi’s tourism resources are very average. Generally, tourists go to Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and Ho Chi Minh Tomb in the same place. There are also the landmark Hanoi Cathedral, near Hoan Kiem Lake, and in the evening go to 36 Ancient Street. That's it.

Ba Dinh Square has President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Hall (L?ng Bác), Ho Chi Minh Museum (B?o tàng H? Chí Minh), Ho Chi Minh’s former residence, and the One Pillar Temple (Chùa M?t C?t) Wait

The memorial hall is open 5 days a week, closed on Mondays and Fridays.

Summer (April 1st - October 31st): 7:30-10:30, winter (November 1st - March 31st): 8:00-11:00. Holidays, weekends, after closing time Extended 30 minutes. In October and November every year, the memorial hall is closed for maintenance.

Follow the signs to a door behind the Ho Chi Minh Museum and queue up to visit the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Hall (when visiting the memorial hall, you are not allowed to bring food, take photos, wear a hat, and do not wear skirts shorter than the knee). Mainly modest).

After coming out of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Hall, follow the flow of people to Ho Chi Minh’s Former Residence (warm reminder: many attractions in Vietnam are free for Vietnamese, foreigners have to buy tickets. The same is true for Ho Chi Minh’s Former Residence, so follow the crowds You can sneak in without talking. Although the tickets are not expensive, why do you need to buy tickets? Haha. Last time I went with my classmates, I just didn't pay attention and kept talking in Chinese, so I was caught buying tickets. I won’t go in. )

After visiting the former residence, walk forward to the One-Pillar Temple. The One-Pillar Temple is actually a small pond and a small temple, maybe not even a temple, because it is really very small, and it is just a place for placing incense. Friends who want to burn incense can buy incense below, light it and insert it. There is a Yuanjue Gate next to the One Pillar Temple, which you can visit for free.

Then you will see the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

There is also a very low English penetration rate among Vietnamese. Basic transportation relies on walking and communication relies on hands. It was okay in Hoan Kiem Lake tourist area. In Xihu District, I basically gestured with my hands, and people couldn’t understand English. . . . .