For students who need to demonstrate their language competency in order to be accepted to a school overseas, English proficiency examinations are essential. But can the school itself profit from an English assessment tool? What about a business?
Yes, that’s the response. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from using an online English proficiency test to enhance their decision-making processes and programme offerings. The secret is to pick a test that provides a wealth of data and to deliver tests in a methodical, scientific way.
Academic environments
Curriculum alignment
Many IEPs, or intensive English programmes, feature many portions at the same level. For instance, 120 students studying at the intermediate level may be enrolled during any given semester. There will be six sessions of 20 students, each taught by a different lecturer. How can the programme guarantee that all students, regardless of the section they are placed in, are receiving the same education?
Program administrators can track how much students have improved by giving an English proficiency test before and after each semester. Administrators can spot trends involving particular instructors. Does one teacher excel at teaching pupils how to communicate orally while another focuses more on producing students with outstanding grammar?
The creation of a curriculum that concentrates on the language skills that require it most can be aided by making the teachers aware of the results of their courses. It’s crucial, though, to frame this as a learning opportunity for the instructors rather than a critique or a challenge to their independence.
Perfect placement
Students won’t succeed in an English programme, even with a carefully crafted curriculum, if they are assigned to the incorrect level. Before students arrive, an English competency test can be given, allowing for level placement on day one. Even if pre-testing students is not an option, it is simple to conduct an online English proficiency test once students arrive. The speaking and writing portions of our tests can be graded in less than a day with advance notice, and the grammar, reading, and listening portions of our tests have fast results.
Evidence of development
Today, there is a fierce competition for qualified international students. The ability to show how much an international student’s English skill typically improves while attending the institution can be a selling advantage for colleges and universities or private high schools. Even if a student’s major was in a subject like math or physics, the school can gauge how much they learned by administering English assessments to them upon arrival and again at graduation.
Keeping track of return on investment
Several businesses that work with a lot of English language learners (ESLs) provide their staff with English language training or classes. The organization can evaluate the participants before and after to gauge how much they learnt over time in order to estimate the efficacy of this programme.
The science of advertising and recruiting
The decision of whether staff should receive promotions or raises can be challenging for bosses. English proficiency is one quantitative characteristic that can be utilized to distinguish between workers with comparable performance and experience. Employees may also receive bonuses for honing their language abilities. An English evaluation tool offers a tangible metric for a talent that is essential to so many jobs, even in nations that do not speak English, for making hiring decisions. English testing can be strategically used to speed up the employment process and save time for hiring managers.
Online English proficiency testing’s convenience
Many individuals undoubtedly imagine pencil and paper when they think of an English test. Nowadays, any current computer can be used to conduct an online English proficiency test like the Mercer Mettl. This allows businesses to test potential hires and employees locally or even remotely, allowing them to put their red pens away. Quickly available results are presented in an approachable style.
Comparing speaking and writing components to the alternative of conducting in-person interviews, they are especially practical. It’s also significantly more efficient because these portions of the test are hand-graded by native English speakers with ESL training who are frequently calibrated for consistency. There is no wait time at all for the results of the grammar, listening, and reading parts because they are graded immediately.
English Proficiency Exam Challenges
The world is an incredibly complicated place, and university websites and policies sometimes struggle to accurately reflect this complexity when specifying English requirements for a certain circumstances. There are two typical sources of confusion you could run into:
Qualifications for dual citizens
What if you have citizenship from an English-speaking country, but reside and attend school in subjects other than English? For instance, let’s say you are a Canadian citizen attending Spanish studies in high school. Some institutions may not require an English exam (depending on citizenship), whereas others may demand an English exam (based on residence or language of instruction).
The university doesn’t immediately admit that English is your nation’s official primary language
Often university websites will state: “English tests are not necessary for students from countries where English is an official language,” rather than: “English tests are not required for students from countries where English is an official language.” If you are viewing this website while in a nation that is not on the list but you are aware that English is the official language of your nation, it can be annoying (and most likely one of your native languages).
If your country isn’t listed, don’t assume you have to take the test. First, ask! Send an email to the college to find out if your specific language or country background qualifies as evidence of your English language proficiency. For many universities, your outreach could lead to one fewer test you have to take.
But, be ready for the response that “You still need to submit an English proficiency test” can be given. You have the option to either take the test or decide not to apply to that school if that is the college’s stated official policy, regardless of the reason. The good news is that if English is your first language and you must still take the exam, you should be able to pass it without having to put much thought into your study strategy.
It is crucial to remember that each university sets its own requirements for who must pass an English proficiency test and carefully considers which examinations they will accept. It is with the help of Mercer | Mettl that the work of conducting English proficiency tests online is made easier for all of us in the digital era.