Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan

From the 2025-2026 academic year, it will no longer be possible to take exams for certain higher education specializations without a language certificate. Naturally, the number of candidates for IELTS will increase. To obtain foreign certificates, one must work hard and study the language deeply. However, it is widely known how those who dislike studying hard but urgently need this language certificate for their goals are choosing their paths. Considering the demand, individuals who make a profit by falsifying certificates have also started to emerge.

So, what is the price of these “services”? What measures are being taken against the "entrepreneurs"? How can the authenticity of such certificates be verified?

“No one will notice this”

Recently, two consecutive reports on social media caught my attention. Citizens who took $2,000 for providing a “National Language Certificate” and $1,800 for passing the exam for a “C1” TOEFL iBT certificate were caught with material evidence. These are just the ones who were caught. After reading the news, I remembered some comments from a few months ago in an English language channel on Telegram. “I need IELTS 5.5, is there anyone who can get it for me? How much does it cost?”, “I needed CEFR B2, does anyone have reliable contacts? I’ll pay whatever they ask.” The answers to these questions were “write in private.”

Recently, a friend of mine took the CEFR exam. She mentioned joining a related group on Telegram, where similar “deals” were happening. I became more interested in finding out details. She said that they offer to make a certificate with the desired score for those who didn’t get the expected results after taking the exam. Moreover, they confidently promised that no one would notice and even if someone checks, the information will match the original.

So, how are they managing this? What method should be used to check the authenticity of a certificate?

Verifying Authenticity

To verify the authenticity of an IELTS certificate, one needs to register on the iels.ucles.org.uk website. Then, the barcode consisting of numbers and letters given at the bottom right of the certificate is sent, and the candidate’s real scores are displayed. Registration is done only by legal entities (organizations or educational institutions). Some test systems have partnerships with IELTS – British Council, FCE – Cambridge Assessment, TOEFL IBT – Educational Testing Service, TestDAF – TestDAF Institute, Goethe Zertifikat – Goethe Institutes along with DTM. There is an agreement between the parties regarding certificate verification. Individuals, however, cannot use this opportunity.

In one of his interviews, IELTS instructor Bekzod Mirahmedov noted, “It is difficult to distinguish a real one from a fake one. But what you should pay attention to is the seal, signature, and the candidate’s special code. Do not forget to pay special attention to their color.”

National certificates can be verified on the official website of the test systems. For this, the QR code is scanned, and the official website is visited. On the site, one can check if the certificate is fake or real. The “entrepreneurs” involved in forgery have created a fake site similar to the real one and linked it to their fake QR code. This raises the question of why ordinary people cannot use this opportunity?

According to the information, only 15 legal entities in Uzbekistan have the right to verify the authenticity of IELTS certificates. Among them are accredited higher education institutions in Uzbekistan (Turin, Inha, Singapore, Westminster universities), Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. No other higher education institution in the republic is registered for this.

As for universities, there are many private tutors teaching English now. How can parents who take their children to a tutor determine if the teacher’s certificate is real or fake? Given the lack of information, it seems impossible to know. Perhaps if more convenient methods that everyone can use to check were developed, forgery would also become impossible.

If Falseness is Detected...

If the falsity of a language certificate submitted to a higher education institution by a recommended applicant is detected, this person will be expelled from the student body and may be deprived of the right to take exams at higher education institutions for up to 3 years. According to the information provided by DTM, if a language certificate is found to be fake, it will be sent to law enforcement agencies, and appropriate measures will be taken for falsification.

If caught making a fake certificate, criminal cases may be initiated under Articles 168 (Fraud), 28, and 211 (Bribery) of the Criminal Code.