Page 7 - ELG2001 Jan Issue 468

El•Gazette 468.qxp_El•Gazette 468 08/01/2020 15:57 Page 7

NEWS
EF test hits headlines

as sample size soars

by Matt Salusbury the Arab News Saudi Arabia fell Vietnam’s recent fall from 41st Netherlands was again in first
15 places to 98th on the Index. place to 52nd, according to place, followed by Sweden,
November saw the publication of Speaking in Saudi Arabia, EF’s VietNews, or the nine-place drop Norway and Denmark. Singapore,
the ninth Education First Director of Academic for Thailand, reported by Thai PBS whose English-medium state
Proficiency Index. Based on EF’s Management, David Bish, said he World. These sudden changes may school system tops the OECD
own online English test, the felt that many Saudi higher- reflect changes in the demographic academic rankings, came in sixth.
publication of the Index is the achievers in English weren’t taking profile of those choosing to take Singapore also does well at
annual cue for editorial writers EF’s test, and recommended that the test. By contrast, the profiles of Ielts, while the sample sizes for the
around the world to beat more locals should take them, “to Toefl and Ielts test takers, which Netherlands and the Nordic
themselves up about their nation’s show what Saudis can do,” are largely made up of highly- countries are too small to make it
English proficiency. according to Arab News. educated students and into the statistics. The 2018
The Italian, Thai and Japanese Access to the internet may highly-skilled migrants, do not figures for Toefl, however, showed
pundits were among those to impact national scores. EF’s own vary from year to year. the Nordics as strong, with the
bemoan their results on the 2018 notes on the Index described a Few changes were seen at the Dutch in second place – just
EF online test, which only assesses correlation between higher scores top of the Index this year. The behind the Irish.
Listening and Reading. An and “technology adoption,”
unprecedented 2.3 million people including access to “secure servers” EF
60
took the test. In the same period, and broadband subscriptions. This 56.71
three million candidates took Ielts. could explain why war-torn 55 53.00 World Average Score 53.13
EF found the Middle East countries like Syria, Iraq and 50.34 50.28
continuing to fall behind other bottom-ranked Libya lag behind, 50
regions, with an average score of as do poverty-stricken countries in 45 44.60
44.6. The EF test, however, does non-Anglophone Africa.
not asses speaking, the strongest EF Index results are roughly in 40
English Language skill among line with the performance seen in
35
Arabic speakers, according to Ielts Ielts and Toefl results. Japanese
statistics. and Italians, for example, tend to 30
Gulf News reported that the underperform neighbouring Europe Asia Latin America Africa Middle East
UAE’s performance in the EF countries on all three tests.
tests was slightly better, up one Only EF, however, reports Proficiency Bands Very High High Moderate Low Very Low
place to 70th; while according to dramatic national swings, such as EPI regional averages from the ninth EF Index

Japan postpones new tests New UK government, new SELTs

by Matt Salusbury these relatively by Matt Salusbury partnership with Prometric.
expensive PeopleCert expect to roll out their
Education minister Koichi Hagiuda private English One of the first acts of the UK ESOL SELT globally from April.
has postponed controversial plans tests was due Government, elected in December, The Pearson SELT is the digital
to introduce private English tests – LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF JAPAN to begin in was to appoint providers for the Pearson Test of English (PTE) in
including Japan’s Eiken test and academic year Secure English Language Tests its PTE Academic and PTE Home
ETS’s Toefl – alternatives to the Education 2020. Students (SELT) needed for UK Visa variants, on offer at over 250 test
state’s National Center Test for minister Koichi would have applications by migrants and centres globally.
University Admissions. The Hagiuda unlimited international students. Alistair Fryer-Bovill, senior
announcement to postpone was opportunities The previous SELT regime, director, international marketing at
made in November. to do practice runs for these in the dating from 2015, had only two PSI Services, told the Gazette the
Shortly before the first and second years of high providers – Ielts and Trinity College company will reveal more details of
announcement, Hagiuda had school, with the results counting London. Following a tendering its SELT – available outside the UK
apologised for stating that “people towards their English scores for process, UK Visas & Immigration only – in early 2020. Their new
should choose to compete for university admission. Access to test has announced new “commercial exams are rumoured to have been
university places in accordance centres, however, could favour agreements”, under which Ielts and produced by the Scottish
with their standing,” a comment wealthier students and those from Trinity will be joined by new Qualifications Authority.
widely disparaged as discriminating urban centres. providers Pearson, PeopleCert and Trinity College London’s tests –
against poor and rural students. According to The Mainichi PSI Services, an “assessment and Trinity GESE and Trinity ISE –
Prime minister Shinzo Abe later newspaper, the entire plan to have talent management” company can currently only be taken at ten
told parliamentarians that he was private English tests count towards based in Glendale, California. These test centres within the UK,
sorry for, “the trouble the university admission will now be agreements will last at least three although the exam board expect
postponement has caused to reviewed, with a “new system” of years. to open more centres soon.
students who were preparing for English exams for university entry Among the new providers is Also “reappointed” is Ielts,
the tests, and to officials (with or without the private tests Athens-based PeopleCert, who whose Ielts for UKVI and Ielts Life
concerned,” NHK reported. option) now expected to be administer the LanguageCert Skills are currently available at
The proposed introduction of adopted in 2024. International ESOL SELT in 110 test centres worldwide.
editorial@elgazette.com 7