From: Diana Vreeland, Director, English Language Institute

From: Diana Vreeland, Director, English Language Institute

To: AAPC Committee

Re: Pearson Test of English (PTE)

Date: January 5, 2017

Currently:

Northern Michigan University requires non-native speakers of English to prove an adequate level of English language proficiency for admission into an academic program. English language proficiency for undergraduate admission can be demonstrated by achieving a minimum score on one of the following examinations:

TOEFL 61 iBT/173 CBT/500 PBT

IELTS 6.0

MELAB 69

ITEP 3.7

Proposal:

NMU will recognize the results of the Pearson Test of English (PTE) as another acceptable demonstration of English language proficiency for undergraduate admission to undergraduate degree programs. A score of 50 or higher on the PTE will be deemed acceptable for undergraduate admission.

Timeframe:

Our hope is that the Pearson Test of English results will be accepted for Fall 2017 applicants and beyond.

Rationale for Accepting the Pearson Test of English:

·  The PTE is accepted by more than 500 universities nation-wide (including major universities like Yale, Harvard, etc.).

·  The PTE is accepted by 15 colleges and universities in Michigan (including U of M and MSU).

·  By accepting the results of the Pearson Test of English for admission purposes, NMU will provide prospective international students with yet another effective and convenient way to earn admission to NMU. Depending on where international applicants live, it can be difficult, inconvenient, and/or expensive for them to take the English proficiency tests we currently require. Therefore, in order to eliminate as many barriers as possible for prospective students applying to NMU, it is in the best interest of NMU to accept as many different validated tests as possible.

o  According to PTE Academic, the PTE is offered in 35 countries world-wide and in 36 U.S. states (including 4 test centers in Michigan).

Rationale for Setting the Minimum Score of the Pearson Test of English:

Setting a score for a commercial language test is complex. TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE are all examinations created by private companies, and they all have slightly different comparisons between the tests.
NMU’s minimum TOEFL iBT score for undergraduate admission is 61. According to PTE, the equivalent score would be 44.

NMU’s minimum IELTS score for undergraduate admission is 6.0. According to PTE, the equivalent score would be 50-57.

(Please note that TOEFL considers their score of iBT 61 to IELTS’s core of 6.0 to be equivalent.)

Three public universities in Michigan which accept the PTE and have TOEFL iBT scores of 61, have set their PTE scores between 43 - 50. (Please see attachment)

The CEFR (Common European Framework) recommends a score of 51-61 for undergraduate coursework.

Weighing all of the information currently available, and after consulting with the Pearson representative, the recommendation is that the minimum score for the PTE be 50.

Validation:

In the years immediately following the acceptance of the Pearson Test of English (PTE), we will implement an evaluation process, both quantitative and qualitative in scope, to help us ascertain whether our minimum score of 50 is appropriate. The evaluation process will track the academic performance of students who are admitted with the PTE. In addition, we will randomly select PTE test takers to also take the TOEFL test, so we can test the validity of the concordance scales provided by Pearson Academic. In the event we discover that a score of 50 is either too low or high, we will have data to support a change in the standard.

The Institutional TOEFL (PBT) test is offered in the English Language Institute at the end of each semester. It is universally recognized that a score of 500 on the PBT is equivalent to 60 on the iBT TOEFL.