How to improve on the Malaysia University English Test (MUET)

Authors

  • Harmeet Singh UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)
  • G. Thamilvili UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)
  • Nur’ Ain Binti Zuraimi UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)
  • Yokana Veliapandian UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)

Keywords:

MUET

Abstract

The study investigates on how to improve on the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) for admission and placement purposes which is widely practiced in pre-university students in Malaysia. The use of standardised English proficiency tests like IELTS and TOEFL is widely practised in academic institutions throughout the world. Similarly in Malaysia, many tertiary institutions utilise the results of a localised version of such test called the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) as a measure of students’ proficiency level, as either an entrance requirement or an exit requirement in various academic programs.

This exam is viewed as a big challenge by many students due to lack of language ability. This implies weaknesses such as limited vocabulary, grammar and language sub-skills, causing a major block to gain a good band score. Hence, this paper reports on the students as well as lecturers perception on MUET and also peeps into plausible suggestions on how MUET can be enhanced.

Author Biographies

Harmeet Singh, UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)

Language Department

G. Thamilvili, UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)

Language Department

References

Bellingham, L. (1995). Navigating choppy seas: IELTS as a support for success in higher education. The TESOLANZ Journal, 3, 21–28.

Gill, S.K. (2005). Language policy in Malaysia: Reversing direction. Language Policy, 4(3), 241–260.

Kaur, N., & Nordin, R. (2006). A case for reconstruction of the pedagogy of Malaysian University English Test (MUET) through thematic units instruction. Journal of Institutional Research South East Asia, 4(1), 5–16.

Malaysian Examinations Council. (2006). Examinations: MUET Regulations, Test Specifications, Test Format and Sample Questions. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from One Semester of Speaking Tasks – An Experimental Approach with Low Proficiency Students.

Othman, J., & Nordin, A. B, (2013). MUET as a Predictor of Academic Achievement in ESL Teacher Education, GEMA online Journal of Language Studies, volume 13, No. 1. Retrieved from http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/article/view/2225 on November 9, 2014.

Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 21 (4): 1583 - 1593 (2013) Malaysian Examinations Council: http://mpm. edu.my. 1593

Rethinasamy, S., & Chuah K. M., (2011). The Malaysian University English Test (MUET) and its Use for Placement Purposes, Electronic Journal for Foreign Language Teaching, volume 8, No. 2. Pg. 234-245. Retrieved from http://eflt.nus.edu.sg/v8n22011/rethinasamy.pdf on November 8, 2014.

Downloads

Published

2014-12-15

How to Cite

Singh, H., Thamilvili, G., Zuraimi, N. A. B., & Veliapandian, Y. (2014). How to improve on the Malaysia University English Test (MUET). Asian Journal of Education and E-Learning, 2(6). Retrieved from https://www.ajouronline.com/index.php/AJEEL/article/view/2029