Jamestown English Center’s five branches across Colombia cater to a diverse student base aged 12 to 85. To manage growing demand for their IELTS preparation courses, the school needed a more efficient and reliable system for placement and progress tracking. Marlon Gomez, Jamestown’s Academic Director, told us about their solution to combine the Dynamic Placement Test and Road to IELTS to create an effective learning journey for students.
A unified approach: Placement meets progress
Marlon started by explaining that, “In 2022, we were using a Google Form test we made in-house to place our students. When we found the Dynamic Placement Test, we knew we had to switch.” Jamestown adopted the Dynamic Placement Test in 2022 to better measure progress through their IELTS courses. The Dynamic Placement Test accurately places students into appropriate levels, while Road to IELTS serves as the foundation for structured learning. Together, these tools provide a complete system for placement, progress monitoring, and exam readiness.
For example, students take the Dynamic Placement Test at key points during the program:
- External students (those not enrolled in other Jamestown courses) use the Dynamic Placement Test both pre- and post-course to assess readiness and progress.
- Internal students (already studying at Jamestown) skip the pre-test but take a mid- and post-course Dynamic Placement Test to track improvement.
Road to IELTS is the primary teaching / learning component of the system, acting as a digital textbook. Teachers assign activities and mock tests from Road to IELTS to reinforce classroom learning, while students work independently to complete at least 32% of the program (about 100 interactive activities) and achieve a minimum score of 5.5 in mock tests.
Why the Dynamic Placement Test and Road to IELTS work for Jamestown
For Marlon and his team of teachers, the combination of the Dynamic Placement Test and Road to IELTS offers several clear advantages:
- Accurate placement and progress tracking: The Dynamic Placement Test places students at the right level, ensuring they are in the most productive learning environment.
- Integrated learning: Road to IELTS provides structured content as well as mock tests that mimic real IELTS conditions.
- Flexibility and accessibility: Both tools are available online, accessible across devices, and are functional off-campus.
- Recognition: Certificates from the Dynamic Placement Test are valued by students, some of whom use them for university applications.
Supporting teachers and students
The tools also reduce administrative burdens. Jamestown uses the Admin Panel, which records activity and grades for both the Dynamic Placement Test and Road to IELTS. This helps to coordinate operations across its five branches. Coordinators and tech assistants set up accounts, organise tests, and provide instructions to students and parents. This centralised system ensures consistency while giving teachers real-time insights into student progress.
However, Jamestown’s teachers see room for improvement, particularly with Road to IELTS:
- Mock test results from Road to IELTS are done outside the platform and therefore aren’t integrated into the Admin Panel, making tracking outcomes more time-consuming.
- Teachers feel they would benefit from additional resources, such as a teaching guide and lesson plans. There should be greater awareness of the materials in Clarity’s two IELTS focused blogs: this one, which contains case studies, downloads and teaching ideas, and also the IELTSpractice blog, aimed primarily at students.
Lessons for other institutions
Jamestown’s experience shows the power of combining a reliable placement test with a structured learning program. By using the Dynamic Placement Test and Road to IELTS together, Marlon says, the school has created a system that supports both independent learning and classroom instruction. For institutions looking to adopt similar solutions, this case study demonstrates how to implement technology effectively, even when starting from scratch. With the right tools and strategies, schools can provide students with the support they need to succeed – whether they’re preparing for IELTS or starting any other English program.
