With teaching and learning apparently being affected by backwash (Hughes, 2003: 1)
but with its existence also being questioned, (Alderson & Wall, 1993), it is difficult, without empirical evidence, to state whether or not backwash has a major influence on IELTS or those involved with the teaching or studying of it. Backwash does however become important when considering if IELTS ever becomes a major predictor of language ability in tests such as exit tests from universities, as detailed by Qian (2007: 33).