Test Preparation Courses Research Articles

The Study of the English Preparation Course to Enhance Students’ English Proficiency for the Standardized Test “Your Score is High; my Score is Low. How to Make it Higher?”

“Your score is high; my score is low. How can I make it higher?” The author heard this in students’ conversations after they received their pre-test scores in the TOEIC training course. This is the major reason the author decided to conduct this study. Using the TOEIC score as part of the graduation requirements, the university designed and provided an English preparation course, namely EG1001: English for Proficiency Preparation, for students before taking the test. This small-scale research aims to investigate the effectiveness of the test preparation course in enhancing students’ English language proficiency and to explore which specific skills non-English major students need to improve for the TOEIC test. The study used pre-and post-tests to collect the language proficiency outputs of 57 higher education students in this course. Additionally, the study used their mini-test scores from each unit of the learning material to track their progress. The findings revealed that the post-test mean score (48.96) was higher than the pre-test mean score (40.58), indicating that after participating in this course, the participants improved their English proficiency. The results also suggested that students needed to practice more on the listening part of the TOEIC test.

Exploring Predictive Models for Students' Performance in Exams: A Comparative Analysis of Regression Algorithms

Student-centered analysis of academic performance is also the most important aspect in improving education by being able to determine what measures work best, individualized learning approaches, and intervention programs. In this study, we performed a detailed analysis based on the Students Performance in Exams dataset and different regression methods to estimate students' grades. We sought to assess the functioning of numerous metrics and determine an optimal model for this task. Our descriptive analysis identified meaningful trends within this dataset, as it includes central factors like 'gender, raceethnic diversity-based status of a student,' and parental education level based on which the children are catered to by informing them about important lunches and test preparation courses alongside scores in Math, Readings, Writing etc. We used a wide range of regression models: XGBoost, CatBoost, GradientBoostingRegressor, etc. Metrics like Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Average Marginal Loss were used to assess each model rigorously. Importantly, the XGBoost model gave out an MSE value of 0.028, which was the best among all values obtained from various other models. The superiority of the XGBoost model is supported by the excellent performance that was reported across many metrics. This work can be important for informing educational practitioners and policymakers regarding the best possible accurate and realistic model that would predict the students' outcome results. Educational data analytics incorporating the XGBoost model can be used for the customization of interventions and mapping resource allocation while promoting a results-oriented approach based on data in education. This study is a step towards the accumulation of knowledge on educational data analytics. It can serve as a background for further research aimed at improving predictive models regarding student performance.

Undue Burden the Medical School Application Process Places on Low-Income Latinos

Undue Burden the Medical School Application Process Places on Low-Income Latinos

Evaluation of Proficiency Test Preparation Course Program at the Language Laboratory of FKIP-UGN

Evaluation of Proficiency Test Preparation Course Program at the Language Laboratory of FKIP-UGN

Солонгос хэлний үнэлгээ, шалгалтын аргачлал (Солонгос хэлний түвшин тогтоох шалгалтын жишээгээр)

Test of Proficiency in Korean is co-organized by Department of Asian Studies of NUM and Korean National Institute for International Education and the 46th TOPIK is on the run. Due to the rising number of test takers more and more TOPIK courses are emerging. 
 TOPIK trainers are facing many issues on running the test preparation course including the test knowledge, experience and strategies. For this reason, we did research on TOPIK and developed some strategies for students to answer the test questions. 
 We aimed to invent strategies based on the study about the contents of the TOPIK, test takers’ results analysis and test questions.

The Effect of Communicative Language Teaching in Test Preparation Course on TOEIC Score of EFL Business English Students

A high-stake standardized test (e.g., TOEFL, TOEIC, and IELTS) is one of essential indicators in determining students’ English proficiency especially in the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Direct test preparation method is prevalent in test preparation course; however, negative washback could occur. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be effective teaching method which can diminish the negative washback and also increase both proficiency and test score. The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the effect of CLT on students’ TOEIC score and 2) to explore students’ attitude towards the use CLT in test preparation course. The sample was 68 Business English students selected by purposive sampling divided into experimental group and control group. The instruments were pre-test, the official TOEIC score and semi-structured interview. The data were analysed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test and content analysis. The results revealed that the official TOEIC score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group which indicated that CLT in test preparation course yielded a positive effect on improving students’ TOEIC score.

Effect of Aerobıc Traınıng Program on Anaerobıc Strength, Balance and Speed Performance in Smokers and Non-Smokers

This study was carried out to examine the effect of aerobic training program applied to smokers and non-smokers on anaerobic power, balance and speed performances. For this purpose, a total of 30 male volunteers between the ages of 18-26 were included. A total of 30 healthy male volunteers participated. These individuals were selected from those who attended the aptitude test preparation courses in Gaziantep. According to this analysis, those who were addicted to cigarettes were determined as the smokers group (n: 15), and those who had never smoked were determined as the non-smokers group (n: 15). A two-hour aerobic training program, three days a week, was applied to both groups for eight weeks. Before the training and after the end of the course, repeated anaerobic sprint test, flamingo balance test and 30 meters sprint test were applied. As a result of the findings, in the analysis of the difference between the pre-test and post-test of the smoking and non-smoking groups, there was no statistical significance in the values of the smoking group (p>0.05); In the speed and raster tests of the non-smoker group, a significant difference was found in favor of the post-test, and between the groups in favor of the non-smoker group (p<0.05). As a result, we can say that the eight-week aerobic training program applied to smokers and non-smokers positively changes and improves the balance and speed levels of non-smokers.

Questioning in TOEFL iBT speaking test: a case of washback and construct underrepresentation

Admission in English-medium universities or institutions of higher education depends on the results obtained by candidates in large-scale proficiency tests including Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT). The structure and administration procedure of the TOEFL iBT speaking test leaves no room for carrying out reciprocal interactions and, consequently, examining applicants’ questioning ability. This study highlights the significance of non-native students’ skills to ask oral English questions in academic contexts as experienced by non-native graduates from English-medium universities and in the view of Iranian TOEFL iBT instructors. Further, the washback of the absence of the skill in the TOEFL iBT test was investigated in speaking preparation classes. Twelve non-native graduates and nineteen Iranian TOEFL iBT instructors participated in the study. They were all interviewed about the significance of oral questioning. The instructors’ views were also sought about the consequences of the disregard of questioning in the test. To triangulate the data, two classes of the instructors were also observed. Classroom observations and interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The results indicated that the participants generally assumed questioning as indispensable in academic interactions. Despite their acknowledgment of its significance, as both the interviews and observations unveiled, the instructors, however, tended not to work on their students’ questioning because of the absence of the skill in the test, the students’ reluctance, limited preparation time, and dependence of their professional reputation on the test results rather than target situation performance. The study further discusses the implications of the findings for the test construct representation and preparation courses.

Factors Affecting Students Academic Performance

Many studies are carried out to find out the factors affecting students' performance Students' academic performance is impacted by many factors. Many factors may have an effect on student performance. To draw inference about whether factors like gender of the student, the race/ethnicity of the student, the level of education of their parents, the type of lunch they ate and whether the test preparation course has any impact on the scores obtained by the student in the tests.

Washback of TOEFL Preparation Courses on Students’ Attitudes and Score Improvement

Despite the prevalence of the TOEFL test preparation courses, research on the impact of TOEFL test preparation courses on language learning and teaching is quite limited (Green, 2013; Huang, 2018). The current study investigated the washback effects of TOEFL preparation courses on students’ attitudes and TOEFL scores improvement. The study implemented a partially mixed equal status design (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2017). Forty-one students and four teachers in a tertiary-level Intensive English Program (IEP) participated in the study. Quantitative data consisted of students’ responses to Likert-scale items and students' TOEFL scores. They were analyzed by independent sample t-tests, one-way repeated measure ANOVA, and post hoc tests. Qualitative data, which included open-ended survey items, student interviews, and teacher interviews, were analyzed using the inductive approach (Miles & Huberman, 1994) and Saldaña’s (2015) coding techniques. Survey results demonstrated that students had generally positive attitudes toward the class. Additionally, a statistically significant score improvement was found for some students. However, student and teacher interviews also revealed several issues that prevented student learning. For example, students studied TOEFL only to improve test scores; teachers rushed to cover all textbook materials and gave little homework; and there were limited classroom speaking activities. Implications regarding the teaching and administering of TOEFL classes at IEP were discussed.

Os desdobramentos do Acervo Celpe-Bras para ensino, aprendizagem, avaliação e pesquisa em Português como Língua Adicional

This article aims to present some of the research developed since the public availability of Acervo Celpe-Bras. Launched in 2014, Acervo compiled and made available past tests, manuals, legislation and academic research about Celpe-Bras, allowing new investigations to be conducted about the exam. Among the research made possible by Acervo are the description and categorization of the Written Part tasks of the exam, which provides resources for new Celpe-Bras specifications (Schoffen et al., 2018). Based on this description, a test preparation course was produced, which considers, in order to propose didactic sequences, the most recurrent characteristics of the tests. The research projects developed since the launch of Acervo consolidate it as a milestone in the history of the exam by promoting a more democratic access to the materials of Celpe-Bras for teachers, test takers and researchers interested in teaching, learning and assessing Portuguese as an Additional Language.

Racial and ethnic differences in student participation in private supplementary education activities

Students in the United States increasingly use private supplementary education activities (PSEAs), but research has largely overlooked how race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status may affect participation. Drawing on nationally representative data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), we use logistic regression models to analyze variation in 11th-grade student reports of participation, by race/ethnicity, in each of four PSEAs: (1) test preparation courses, (2) out-of-school academic instruction, (3) consulting a hired counselor, and (4) college preparation camps, as well as the total number of PSEAs. We find that minority students are more likely than White students to participate in each of the PSEAs. The higher likelihood of PSEA participation among minority students is particularly noticeable among families whose mothers do not have a bachelor's degree. We also find that the relationship between prior academic performance and PSEA participation varies across race/ethnicity, with Black and Hispanic students generally using PSEAs to “catch up” and Asian students using PSEAs to “get ahead.” Findings point to the relevance of race/ethnicity in family investment in PSEAs beyond social class and also highlight the potential implications of PSEAs for educational inequalities.

Eye gaze patterns reveal how reasoning skills improve with experience

Reasoning, our ability to solve novel problems, has been shown to improve as a result of learning experiences. However, the underlying mechanisms of change in this high-level cognitive ability are unclear. We hypothesized that possible mechanisms include improvements in the encoding, maintenance, and/or integration of relations among mental representations – i.e., relational thinking. Here, we developed several eye gaze metrics to pinpoint learning mechanisms that underpin improved reasoning performance. We collected behavioral and eyetracking data from young adults who participated in a Law School Admission Test preparation course involving word-based reasoning problems or reading comprehension. The Reasoning group improved more than the Comprehension group on a composite measure of four visuospatial reasoning assessments. Both groups improved similarly on an eyetracking paradigm involving transitive inference problems, exhibiting faster response times while maintaining high accuracy levels; nevertheless, the Reasoning group exhibited a larger change than the Comprehension group on an ocular metric of relational thinking. Across the full sample, individual differences in response time reductions were associated with increased efficiency of relational thinking. Accounting for changes in visual search and a more specific measure of relational integration improved the prediction accuracy of the model, but changes in these two processes alone did not adequately explain behavioral improvements. These findings provide evidence of transfer of learning across different kinds of reasoning problems after completing a brief but intensive course. More broadly, the high temporal precision and rich derivable parameters of eyetracking make it a powerful approach for probing learning mechanisms.

Meeting the Challenges of Minorities in Higher Education: A Review of the Underrepresentation of Hispanics in Medical School

Bridging the gap between Hispanics and the medical profession is critical to addressing the diversity disparities and in upholding quality healthcare to individuals of all ethnic backgrounds. The deficiency in Hispanic healthcare providers is attested by the low representation of Hispanics in medical schools across the nation. Despite current research, there is lack of research that would help develop a comprehensive approach to increase Hispanic representation in the medical profession. The objective of this study is to interpret, analyze, and integrate information about the challenges experienced by underrepresented minorities (URM) in their quest to medical school. This research seeks to answer the question: What individual‐level and sociocultural factors impede Hispanic participation and representation in medical school? To answer this question, a library research to review the literature using peer‐reviewed articles was conducted. The articles were read thoroughly, scrutinized, evaluated for their relevance, and interpreted with new understandings. The analysis of key factors contributing to low representation of minorities in higher education was done through synthesis of the pertinent information reported in previous studies. Our review showed that a key factor contributing to low representation of Hispanics in medical school was their low acceptance rate. While seemingly obvious and its proximal correlates equally obvious (i.e., low academic performance metrics such as grade point average (GPA), science GPA, and MCAT scores), the less visible and the more distal reasons relating to educational inequalities such as deficiency in resources, lower quality schools, working student status, and constrained financial means for test preparation courses and materials all conspired to deter and diminish competencies that are critical to maintaining high academic performance metrics. Other seemingly inconspicuous and distal reasons and yet adversely impacting academic performance metrics have to do with inadequate social capital such as lack of access to academic support networks, academic mentors, real‐life role models, and familial support. Combatting these hindrances requires special attention to develop outreach initiatives with primary and secondary schools to attract and better prepare underrepresented minority students. Implementation of summer programs, collaborative enrichment initiatives, and mentoring systems with the aid of medical schools as well as the primary and secondary schools are indeed needed to stimulate growth in Hispanic representation.Support or Funding InformationAct on Ideas Texas A&M International University and College of Arts and Sciences Texas A&M International UniversityThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

The Effect of Mock Tests on Iranian EFL learners’ Test Scores

The effect of using tests in test preparation courses has been subject to debate. While some scholars such as Yang and Badger (2015) believe it is a cause of positive washback effect, others argue that this issue is tentative and context-bound (Green, 2007). Therefore, this study investigated the effect of using Mock tests in International English Language Testing System (IELTS) preparation courses on students’ overall IELTS scores. Fifty one IELTS students were selected non-randomly through the quota sampling approach out of 76 students at Mahan Language Institute in Birjand, Iran. These participants were distributed into Group 1 (n=25) and Group 2 (n=26). A complete IELTS test was administered to ensure that the Groups were homogeneous and to serve as pretest. After 10 sessions of intervention, a different IELTS test was administered as posttest. The results of between subject analysis through independent samples t-test revealed that using Mock tests in the IELTS preparation courses can positively affect the participants scores on IELTS exam. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

Near peer-assisted learning to improve confidence for medical students' situational judgment tests.

The situational judgment test (SJT) was introduced for all graduating United Kingdom medical students in 2013. Students have anxiety over time pressures and heavy weighting of a single examination. This study aimed to examine formal SJT preparation available, perceptions of a near peer-delivered course, and to measure improvement in students' confidence. Foundation doctors ( first 2 years of postgraduate training) produced a "Situational Judgment Test Preparation Course" in November 2015. Feedback was collected via Likert scores rating teaching, a mock examination, and pre- and post-course confidence along with free-text responses. Delayed feedback was collected via an online survey. Forty-four students completed the feedback. Seventy percent reported <2 h of university SJT preparation. There were significant post-course improvements in familiarity with structure, scoring system, knowledge and content, and overall SJT confidence (P < 0.05). Delayed feedback showed sustained improvement in familiarity with knowledge and content (P < 0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed themes of improved confidence, approachable tutors, and identifying question strategies. Students perceived a lack of formal SJT preparation which was reflected in low pre-course confidence. Improvements in confidence may reflect a unique insight into how to approach the examination from those having recently undertaken it.

Language assessment literacy for language learning-oriented assessment

This paper reflects on the findings of a small-scale and exploratory study which attempted to explore whether and how learning-oriented assessment opportunities might be revealed in, or inserted into formal speaking tests, order to provide language assessment literacy opportunities for language teachers teaching in test preparation courses as well as teachers training to become speaking test raters. Hamp-Lyons and Green (2014) closely studied a set of authentic speaking test video samples from the Cambridge: First (First Certificate of English) speaking test, in order to learn whether, and where, learning-oriented behaviours could be encouraged or added to interlocutors’ behaviours, without disrupting the required reliability and validity of the test. We paid particular attention to some basic components of effective interaction that we would want an examiner or interlocutor to exhibit if they seek to encourage interactive responses from test candidates: body language (in particular eye contact; intonation, pacing and pausing); management of turn-taking and elicitation of candidate-candidate interaction. We call this shift in focus to view tests as learning opportunities learning-oriented language assessment (LOLA).

Investigating washback to the learner from the IELTS test in the Japanese tertiary context

This study investigated the consequential validity of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic exam, specifically focusing on washback upon learners’ test preparation strategies and score gain, and the mediating factors influencing washback when learners in an EFL context are not enrolled in test preparation courses. Two IELTS Tests were administered to 190 undergraduates at a Japanese university over a 1-year period. A survey instrument was used to collect data about test preparation strategies for both tests. Test scores were compared to assess score gain. Interviews were conducted with 19 participants to investigate the factors mediating washback. Test results revealed a significant increase in speaking ability, with more significant increases in speaking and listening for participants who reported preparing more intensely for the test. Survey results showed that students focused significantly more on speaking and writing, and significantly less on reading, when preparing for the second test, and those who prepared most intensely also focused significantly more on listening. A qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed a complex array of factors related to learner perceptions and their access to resources, which are highly dependent on learners’ sociocultural and educational context, and which shape washback to the learner. The IELTS Test created positive washback on learners’ language ability and test preparation strategies, specifically regarding productive skills, which learners in the study context had neglected in their previous language study. However, a range of mediating factors must be addressed in order to ensure positive washback in EFL contexts and in the absence of instruction.

Chinese Students’ Perceptions of the Value of Test Preparation Courses for the TOEFL iBT: Merit, Worth, and Signi cance

Test preparation for high-stakes English language tests has received increasing research a ention in the language assessment feild; however, little is known about what aspects of test preparation students attend to and value. In this study, we considered the perspectives of 12 Chinese students who were enrolled in various academic programs in a Canadian university, and we examined their perceptions of the value of the TOEFL iBT test preparation courses they had taken prior to admission to that university. Drawing on Scriven’s (1998, 2007) model, which conceptualizes value as merit, worth, and significance, the thematic findings that emerged from the interviews were triangulated with document analysis and revealed that the value of TOEFL iBT test preparation courses was a ributed to (a) quality (merit), including teachers, instruction, and instructional content; (b) benefit (worth), such as efficiency and reorientation to the TOEFL iBT and English skills development; and (c) engagement and affective attainment (significance), in learning communities and sources of motivation. However, the perceived value varied among these students, and the factors related to such vari-ability included both internal factors (e.g., students’ motivations for taking test preparation courses) and external factors (e.g., limited time to prepare for the TOEFL iBT). Implications of the bene ts are discussed within the context of Chinese students in the Canadian academic milieu. La recherche dans le domaine de l’évaluation linguistique se penche de plus en plus sur la préparation aux examens d’anglais ā enjeux élevés. On connait mal, par contre, quels aspects de la préparation aux examens les étudiants trouvent importants et sur lesquels ils se concentrent. Dans ce e étude, nous avons considéré les perspectives de 12 étudiants chinois inscrits à divers programmes académiques dans une université canadienne et avons examiné leurs perceptions de la valeur des cours de préparation au TOEFL iBT qu’ils avaient passé avant d’être admis à l’université. Le modelé de Scriven (1998, 2007), qui conçoit la valeur comme étant le mérite et la signi cation, a servi d’inspiration. Les thèmes qui sont ressortis des entrevues ont été validés à partir d’une analyse documentaire; les résultats indiquent que la valeur des cours préparatoires au TOEFL iBT était a ribuée à (a) la qualité (le mérite), y compris les enseignants, l’instruction et le contenu instructif; (b) les avantages, tels l’e cacité et la réorientation vers le développement d’habiletés relatives à la langue anglaise et au TOEFL iBT; et (c)l’implication et la réalisation affective (signification) dans les communautés d’apprentissage et les sources de motivation. Toutefois, la valeur perçue variait d’un étudiant à l’autre, et les facteurs liés à ce e variabilité incluaient des facteurs internes (la motivation de suivre des cours préparatoires, par exemple) et des facteurs externes (contraintes de temps quant à la préparation aux examens). Nous en discutons les bienfaits et les répercussions dans le cas d’étudiants chinois dans le milieu académique canadien.

Teaching Metacognitive Strategies through Anderson’s Model: Does It Affect EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension?

Metacognitive Strategies (MS), as one of the main categories of language learning strategies, are presumed to encourage higher-order thinking, autonomous learning, and, in all actuality, better learning. Based on this premise, this study attempts to investigate the effect of teaching MS on intermediate-level EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ Listening Comprehension (LC). To fulfill this objective, a group of 130 male and female EFL learners, attending a TOEFL test preparation course, took a sample of Preliminary English Test (PET) as a proficiency test, and 90 of them were selected as homogeneous learners. This homogeneous group, then, took a LC (pre)test whose scores functioned as the basis for selecting a number of 60 male and female students, between the ages of 18 to 35 (M age = 26), as the participants of this study. The participants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and two control groups (n = 15 in each class). These four classes were instructed by four EFL teachers, employing the same textbook and content, over 18 sessions. Only the two experimental groups received MS training based on Anderson’s 2002 model. At the end of the training course, a listening posttest was administered to all four classes. Analyzing the data through a t- test revealed that the two experimental groups significantly outperformed the other two control groups; accordingly, it was confirmed that teaching MS has a significant and positive impact on EFL learners’ LC in this context. The study concludes with stating some pedagogical implications and highlighting some avenues for future research.