Manama, May 8 (BNA): 13,000 male and female students from 41 high schools in Bahrain took the second pilot test of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with the aim of determining their level of English.
IELTS measures the examinee’s abilities in the four basic skills required for proficiency tests, namely listening, reading, writing and speaking.
During the second semester, the students underwent an intensive training program on exam skills and sections to prepare them for the post-examination.
The post-test aims to measure the extent to which they benefit from the training program implemented by the Ministry of Education during the second semester of the current academic year following the preliminary test held in February.
During the pretest, the average band was 2.75 out of 9, which is about 2.5 bands below the international minimum score. Meanwhile, 5% of students got between the 5.5 and 8.5 range.
The Ministry of Education has launched a program to train students and prepare them to take proficiency tests in TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System).
The plan aims to hone the English language skills of high school students and help them meet the admission requirements of many universities, which would be exempt from preliminary programs if they pass the required proficiency tests.
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