Caught or Captured one's eye? English language test 2012

[ghost of moon goddess]

As some of you probably know, since 2008 admission of Universities in Ukraine has been based on external independent assessment of school-leavers/graduates.
The level of their knowledge has been evaluated by the Ukrainian Center for external assessing educational quality, that was created as an independent structure.

In 2010 the English language test sparked heated debates in the local community of English language teachers. The Center was widely criticized over the excessive difficulty of the tests. The community claimed that the independent external testing 2010 in the English language was too complicated. It was also claimed by some education professionals that some tasks did not go with the public school program approved by the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine. This fact had led some to publicly question the test 2010 as well as the English language proficiency of the individuals who designed and approved it.
 
The English language test 2012.
The test was made up of four sections. The total number of questions (including an essay) was 43. The time allowed to complete the test was 120 minutes. How many points each question answered correctly was worth  depended on the difficulty of the particular question. The points assigned for the test answers were added together to determine a test-taker's total point score. The overall maximum possible point score for the test was 62 (including 20 points - max possible  score assigned for an essay). Then the examinees' scores were converted to "score rating" units ranging from 100 to 200.

The test itself was designed to assess a test-taker's level of comprehension of the (written) English language, their level of knowledge of the English grammar and vocabulary size. A test-taker's English writing skills were assessed through an essay they had to write.
Unfortunately, scores earned by test-takers do not provide any indication of their listening and speaking skills, which, IMO, are really important when it comes to communication in an English-speaking environment.


Results of the English language test 2012*:

Total number of school grads that took the English language test - 82 428

Range of score ratings   Earned by (per cent) of test-takers
100-123,5                                    8,64
124-150                                      40,71
150,5- 180                                  43,10
180,5-190                                    4,75
190,5-199,5                                 2,74
200                                              0,06

*according to the Ukraine Education portal  osvita.ua

FYI:
(Ukr.) Universities that specify English as a core subject: a minimum score required to meet minimum admission requirements is 140. Where English is not a critical subject, a minimum passing score is 124.

[Anotherkiwi]

As some of you probably know, since 2008 admission of Universities in Ukraine has been based on external independent assessment of school-leavers/graduates.

...

Results of the English language test 2012*:

Total number of school grads that took the English language test - 82 428

Range of score ratings   Earned by (per cent) of test-takers
100-123,5                                    8,64
124-150                                      40,71
150,5- 180                                  43,10
180,5-190                                    4,75
190,5-199,5                                 2,74
200                                              0,06

*according to the Ukraine Education portal  osvita.ua

FYI:
(Ukr.) Universities that specify English as a core subject: a minimum score required to meet minimum admission requirements is 140. Where English is not a critical subject, a minimum passing score is 124.

Sorry GOMG, but I'll have to deduct one point from you - it should be admission "to." 
 
However I, as I'm sure many other native English speakers here, have been absolutely blown away by your command of our language.  If I could speak any other language at this level (Russian, Ukrainian, French, whatever) I would feel blessed.  If it's not a rude question, how did you get to be so good?  Are you an international diplomatic interpreter?
 
Reverting to the original post, it would be very interesting to see the test itself.  I wonder just how well I, or any other native speaker, would perform. 

[noelscot]

As some of you probably know, since 2008 admission of Universities in Ukraine has been based on external independent assessment of school-leavers/graduates.
The level of their knowledge has been evaluated by the Ukrainian Center for external assessing educational quality, that was created as an independent structure.

In 2010 the English language test sparked heated debates in the local community of English language teachers. The Center was widely criticized over the excessive difficulty of the tests. The community claimed that the independent external testing 2010 in the English language was too complicated. It was also claimed by some education professionals that some tasks did not go with the public school program approved by the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine. This fact had led some to publicly question the test 2010 as well as the English language proficiency of the individuals who designed and approved it.
 
The English language test 2012.
The test was made up of four sections. The total number of questions (including an essay) was 43. The time allowed to complete the test was 120 minutes. How many points each question answered correctly was worth  depended on the difficulty of the particular question. The points assigned for the test answers were added together to determine a test-taker's total point score. The overall maximum possible point score for the test was 62 (including 20 points - max possible  score assigned for an essay). Then the examinees' scores were converted to "score rating" units ranging from 100 to 200.

The test itself was designed to assess a test-taker's level of comprehension of the (written) English language, their level of knowledge of the English grammar and vocabulary size. A test-taker's English writing skills were assessed through an essay they had to write.
Unfortunately, scores earned by test-takers do not provide any indication of their listening and speaking skills, which, IMO, are really important when it comes to communication in an English-speaking environment.


Results of the English language test 2012*:

Total number of school grads that took the English language test - 82 428

Range of score ratings   Earned by (per cent) of test-takers
100-123,5                                    8,64
124-150                                      40,71
150,5- 180                                  43,10
180,5-190                                    4,75
190,5-199,5                                 2,74
200                                              0,06

*according to the Ukraine Education portal  osvita.ua

FYI:
(Ukr.) Universities that specify English as a core subject: a minimum score required to meet minimum admission requirements is 140. Where English is not a critical subject, a minimum passing score is 124.

The design of the test sounds thoroughly inadequate for testing a foreign language learner's proficiency. Generally, a language test (an example in the states would be CASAS or BEST) tests speaking (production and interaction), writing (production and interaction), and understanding (listening and reading).


Europe uses the CEFR (Common European Framework for Reference of languages) as a general guideline for language learning, assessment, and teaching, and I'd gather that B-2 up to C-2 proficiency levels would suffice for entry to a university that is non-English speaking context.


This begs the question, why don't the Ukrainian schools just use standardized tests that already exist?! They're trying to re-invent the wheel. 

[BC]

Europe uses the CEFR (Common European Framework for Reference of languages) as a general guideline for language learning, assessment, and teaching,
and I'd gather that B-2 up to C-2 proficiency levels would suffice for entry to a university that is non-English speaking context.


This begs the question, why don't the Ukrainian schools just use standardized tests that already exist?! They're trying to re-invent the wheel.

The best and ultimate test IMHO is the 'phone test'....  the ability to call someone and converse in a foreign language normally.

[noelscot]

The best and ultimate test IMHO is the 'phone test'....  the ability to call someone and converse in a foreign language normally.

Yes, telephone conversations prove a language learner's spoken production and spoken interaction proficiency.
 
Some guys on here will encounter ladies in the correspondence stage who have better written skills than spoken skills, and the ladies won't feel comfortable speaking on the telephone.
 
 

[ghost of moon goddess]

Sorry GOMG, but I'll have to deduct one point from you - it should be admission "to." 
 

C'est noté 

If it's not a rude question, how did you get to be so good?  Are you an international diplomatic interpreter?
 

No, I'm not.  My unhealthy admiration for English literature is partly to blame.

...it would be very interesting to see the test itself.  I wonder just how well I, or any other native speaker, would perform. 

Sorry, Anotherkiwi, but I'm not sure you have the chance to perform the test. It looks like the test answer options sheet is not available on the Internet. 

But, if you still wish to take a look at the tasks Ukrainian school grads were asked to undertake, the link is below.
http://www.uci-asa.com/2012/english-2012.pdf

FYI:
Questions 1 through 5 and  11 through 16 : "Matching"
Test-takers were to select the option most closely matching the content

Questions 6 through 10: "Multiple choice"
Test-takers had 4 options/possible answers to choose from.

Questions 17 through 42: "Fill-in-the-blanks"
Test-takers were to choose the right word/phrase

Question 43: "Writing module"
Test-takers were to write an essay (letter)

Also, be advised that texts given in bold are answers to the test questions 

[ghost of moon goddess]

The design of the test sounds thoroughly inadequate for testing a foreign language learner's proficiency. Generally, a language test (an example in the states would be CASAS or BEST) tests speaking (production and interaction), writing (production and interaction), and understanding (listening and reading).


Europe uses the CEFR (Common European Framework for Reference of languages) as a general guideline for language learning, assessment, and teaching, and I'd gather that B-2 up to C-2 proficiency levels would suffice for entry to a university that is non-English speaking context.

According to the External Tests Schedule approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, English language test sessions had to be  held throughout Ukraine on the same day and at the same time.
It would be technically impossible to provide any measure (not to mention a reliable measure) of test-takers' abilities across their four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking,   hence the test had only 2 modules: reading and writing, IMO.

This begs the question, why don't the Ukrainian schools just use standardized tests that already exist?! They're trying to re-invent the wheel. 

I'm not sure if The Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative (USETI) supported development of English language tests for the 2011 and 2012 educational years, but according to their Final Report April 2007 – December 2009, "during their missions to Ukraine, USETI consultants closely worked with those UCEQA (the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment) subject specialists developing external tests for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 testing years, in particular foreign languages specialists, as these tests were completely new in 2009 external testing".  http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACQ648.pdf

[noelscot]

According to the External Tests Schedule approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, English language test sessions had to be  held throughout Ukraine on the same day and at the same time.
It would be technically impossible to provide any measure (not to mention a reliable measure) of test-takers' abilities across their four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking,   hence the test had only 2 modules: reading and writing, IMO.

I'm not sure if The Ukrainian Standardized External Testing Initiative (USETI) supported development of English language tests for the 2011 and 2012 educational years, but according to their Final Report April 2007 – December 2009, "during their missions to Ukraine, USETI consultants closely worked with those UCEQA (the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment) subject specialists developing external tests for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 testing years, in particular foreign languages specialists, as these tests were completely new in 2009 external testing".  http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACQ648.pdf

This sounds very incestuous having USETI monitoring UCEQA. Also, it is a huge disservice to students to omit 50% of what a language proficiency test is supposed to test.  Just as an example, the IELTS is administered over the course of 2 days. Then, the logistics of having every student in Ukraine take the test on the same day is ludicrous. The universities here have testing centers, and most standardized tests are administered on an a la carte basis. There are also systematic ways to prevent cheating that are used here. 
 
I think it is an undue burden upon Ukrainian students to make high-level English proficiency a prerequisite for enrollment. It makes more sense to assess students first, then have continuous teaching, assessing, and learning via English remedial centers within universities for students with such needs.
 
 

[ML]

I think it is an undue burden upon Ukrainian students to make high-level English proficiency a prerequisite for enrollment. It makes more sense to assess students first, then have continuous teaching, assessing, and learning via English remedial centers within universities for students with such needs.
 

You apparently are not aware that there are entire university programs in Ukraine (and many other non-English native language countries) where ALL courses in the program are taught in English . . . from Day 1.

[noelscot]

You apparently are not aware that there are entire university programs in Ukraine (and many other non-English native language countries) where ALL courses in the program are taught in English . . . from Day 1.

 

I'm fully aware. The dirty little secret is that the students are not prepared for success from Day 1, especially in spoken/listening English proficiency. I edited a girl's dissertation (English) and CV for public administration for Odesa Regional Institute of Public Administrations. All of her graduate classes were in English. But the university was absolutely consumed with wasting time on remedial English classes, because students did not have the C1 and C2 levels they needed for the educational domain. I saw some of the English language materials they were studying, and I wish I had gone to the classes and observed.

 
The Bologna process, which Ukraine signed in 2005, is setting up English as the lingua franca for HEIs (higher educational institutes), but several Ukrainian college students (all graduates from grad school) have told me that the English language instruction they received in primary and secondary school was not robust, ongoing, or of good quality. These folks attended public schools and all had better reading and writing English proficiency than spoken and listening proficiency. They ended up spending lots of money on English tutors and supplemental English courses. Private schools are probably a different matter.

 
In the main, the test is bunk and the educational system of Ukraine will need intensive English programs if prospective college students are expected to have a C-1 to C-2 English proficiency for undergraduate courses and graduate courses. Otherwise a lot of students are going to be unfairly excluded from getting an education

[ML]

You are very inconsistent with your last two posts.
Can you see it?

[noelscot]

You are very inconsistent with your last two posts.
Can you see it?

It would help if you provided specifics, but if you are referring to remedial English, then that is going to occur in any context where English is a foreign language. (For example, KMU in Taiwan converted all coursework to English and needed ESL consultants to facilitate the conversion.) Remedial programs are a necessary aspect of instituting English as the language for university courses.  However, the time and money spent on remedial programs could be lessened by instituting better English programs in primary and secondary schooling. I.e., teach students the fundamentals sooner rather than later.


 

[Gator]

I did not know that English was so important for admission to Ukrainian universities.   Most of the women I dated were schooled in Soviet times.  However, those with university degrees tended to be conversant in English.  Those who went to trade colleges tended to not speak English.
 
If the English testing is done for university admission, I wonder why Ukraine does not use the TOEFL test, which is widely accepted and "recognized by more than 8,500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries."   
http://www.ets.org/toefl/
 
Every test has its detractors.  The Afro-American community claims that the SAT testing done for entrance to universities is biased against those who grew up in a ghetto.   Even the TOEFL is criticized as being too British.
 
 

[ML]

I did not know that English was so important for admission to Ukrainian universities.
   
Depends on the particular University and the student's intended major.

Even the TOEFL is criticized as being too British.

Never heard this.  TOEFL is constructed in USA.

[ML]

However, the time and money spent on remedial programs could be lessened by instituting better English programs in primary and secondary schooling. i.e., teach students the fundamentals sooner rather than later.

These type of statements seem a bit inconsistent with your earlier statement:

"I think it is an undue burden upon Ukrainian students to make high-level English proficiency a prerequisite for enrollment."

[ghost of moon goddess]

In the main, the test is bunk and the educational system of Ukraine will need intensive English programs if prospective college students are expected to have a C-1 to C-2 English proficiency for undergraduate courses and graduate courses. Otherwise a lot of students are going to be unfairly excluded from getting an education

Sorry, you've misunderstood my account. Some (but by no means all)  prospective college students are expected to have a C-1 English proficiency. Let me clarify this.

Each university/faculty/course has its own minimum entry requirements in terms of Independent Assessment (IA) subject tests candidates must have taken. Normally, they require scores with respect to 3 IA  tests - in the Ukrainian language (compulsory), core subject and optional subject. The core and optional subjects vary between universities. Candidates  choose which tests they have to take, in order to meet entry requirements of the particular university/ies they are going to apply to.

FYI: In 2012, 82428 students took the English language test and 298 888 students took the (compulsory) Ukrainian language test.

I did not know that English was so important for admission to Ukrainian universities.   
 

Fortunately, the IA English test is important only for admission to the Ukrainian universities that specify it as a core subject. 

[noelscot]

Sorry, you've misunderstood my account. Some (but by no means all)  prospective college students are expected to have a C-1 English proficiency. Let me clarify this.

Each university/faculty/course has its own minimum entry requirements in terms of Independent Assessment (IA) subject tests candidates must have taken. Normally, they require scores with respect to 3 IA  tests - in the Ukrainian language (compulsory), core subject and optional subject. The core and optional subjects vary between universities. Candidates  choose which tests they have to take, in order to meet entry requirements of the particular university/ies they are going to apply to.

FYI: In 2012, 82428 students took the English language test and 298 888 students took the (compulsory) Ukrainian language test.


Fortunately, the IA English test is important only for admission to the Ukrainian universities that specify it as a core subject. 

Ah, I see. The minimum requirement for enrollment in most universities in the USA is a No. 2 pencil.    As Paul Fussell noted, it's funny how none of the American college graduates have a sense of humor and put quotation marks around "university" on their silly car decals. Fussell's book Class is hilarious, by the way.
 
Don't worry, I'll be in the general area in 2014 and ready to tutor folks in English. 
 
Here's a great self-assessment tool for folks who are studying a foreign language: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr