EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 34

Malaysian University English Test
(MUET)
The Malaysian University English Test (MUET) was ?rst launched
in 1999 and administered by the Malaysian Examinations
Council. It is taken by students who intend to pursue their
tertiary education at public universities as it is a mandatory test
if you want to join Malaysian public universities. This test is
carried out thrice a year and candidates usually register through
their academic institutions, or State Education Departments for
private candidates.
The drawback of MUET is that, unlike the International English
Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) which are globally accepted, MUET is
recognised only in Malaysia and Singapore.
There are four components in the MUET: listening, speaking,
reading and writing. The listening and speaking component
carries 15% and a duration of 30 minutes while reading and
writing carries 40% and 30% respectively which has to be
completed in 90 minutes. All the percentages contribute to a total
score of 300. Students are then categorised into 6 ranks; Band
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 with band 1 being a limited English user and
band 6 being a very good English user.

International English Language
Testing System (IELTS)
IELTS is one of the pioneers for English language testing for
the four skills since over 21 years ago and continues to set the
standard of English language testing today. IELTS is recognised
as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true-to-life ability
to communicate in English for education, immigration and
professional accreditation. It is jointly owned by British Council,
IDP: IELTS Australia and the Cambridge English Language
Assessment through more than 800 test centres and locations in
more than130 countries.
There are also 4 components of listening, reading, writing and
speaking in IELTS. The listening component takes 30 minutes,
reading and writing takes 60 minutes while speaking takes
about 11 to 14 minutes. Like MUET, IELTS also works on a band
system with band 1 being the weakest and band 9 being the
best. The band is calculated based on the average band of the
4 components. IELTS also has an academic training or general
training where the listening and speaking task will be the same,
while the reading and writing tasks are different.

English 1119
There is another English language pro?ciency test sat by
Sijil
Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) (O Level) candidates called the 1119. This test
is actually graded in the English paper that the candidates attempt.
That is why students are given two grades in their English paper – one
is for English and the other for 1119 English. The 1119 is equivalent
to the GCE (O-Levels) English language in the Cambridge International
Examinations (CIE). In this English paper, there will be a directed writing
and continuous writing section, and a good grade for 1119 English
depends heavily on your continuous writing. To get an ‘A’, your essay
will need to be interesting, written in varied sentences, contain a wide
vocabulary and be grammatically correct.

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EASYUNI Guide 2013

Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL)
TOEFL is also quite similar to IELTS, with the 4 components of
listening, reading, writing and speaking, plus the 9 bands to
categorise its candidates. However, TOEFL lasts a little longer
compared to IELTS where its reading and listening section lasts
about 60 to 90 minutes. The speaking section lasts the shortest,
about 20 minutes, and the writing consumes another 60 minutes.
Each component has a maximum score of 30 which sums up to a
total score of about 120.
Depending on your location, test takers can take the TOEFL iBT
test or Paper-based test (PBT) if the test centres in their location
do not have Internet access. TOEFL offers more test dates, as
many as 30 to 40 per year, and locations – 4,500 test centres in
165 countries, than any other English-language test in the world.
This test can be attempted as many times as you want. Depending
on your location, the cost of this test can range anywhere from
US$160 to US$250.
Needless to say, preparation is very important if you want to score
a high band. First of all, check the structure and format of the
test. You can do this easily by getting them at the bookstore or by
browsing their website as they do provide necessary information
to guide you. Secondly, prepare early and don’t leave it till the last
minute. Then, practise, practise and practise whenever you can.
Think about how badly you want the good grades. Self- study,
form a study group or join a class to make the most out of it.
Listening and speaking needs a lot of practice and friends to
guide you along. Take someone ?uent in the language and speak
with them. Visualise the scenario and get used to it to avoid
panicking too much when the real thing happens. When you are
listening, don’t attempt to listen to every single word. There are
techniques to catch the meaning. As for reading and writing, get
the model questions and do it. The websites of these tests do
offer practice tests that you can download and attempt. For the
reading test, learn to skim and scan. Then, master the skill and
express your thoughts, views, opinions and ideas on paper, in the
most coherent manner and suitable vocabulary.
You should also read a lot. Don’t read everything blindly; be smart
in choosing your topics – those likely to appear in your test. How
much do you know about social problems? Crime? Technology?
General knowledge? If you don’t know, read them. There are
newspapers, magazines and articles from English language
websites. Finally, extend your vocabulary by getting a good
academic workbook. Of course, you will need a better vocabulary
level than your normal everyday English vocabulary. Remember,
do not slack and practice makes perfect. So, try your best and
practise till the last minute.