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English Language Testing

Advice on English Testing

The Unit is able to provide information and advice to staff and students on a range of English language testing issues, especially in relation to English requirements for prospective students in the Faculty. We have extensive experience with the main internationally-recognised English proficiency tests (IELTS and TOEFL ).

The Unit is also able to assess the English language proficiency of students via its Faculty of Arts Essay Admission Test (FAET).

Faculty of Arts Admission Essay Test (Faet)

Information for international student applicants

  1. Background

    It is the policy of the Faculty of Arts that applicants to undergraduate and graduate programs demonstrate that they have an adequate level of English to participate fully in their intended course of study. In normal circumstances, international student applicants will demonstrate their English proficiency by providing an acceptable score on a recognised language test eg. IELTS (International English language testing system) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

    In special circumstances, when applicants are not able to provide an IELTS or TOEFL score at short notice, they may be eligible tp sit for the Faculty of Arts Essay Admission Test (FAET). Applicants should note that the standard of written English required on the FAET Test is the same as that required on other official language tests ie IELTS and TOEFL.

  2. Test times

    Applicants can arrange to sit the test at a time convenient to both the Faculty and the applicant.

  3. Details of the test

    The test is designed to reflect the type of writing that is required of students studying in the Faculty of Arts. (see Sample test)

    Candidates are given three hours to write an essay of approximately 700 words.

    The essay will be based on a topic of a general nature. Candidates will not need to have any detailed knowledge of the topic area to complete the task. For this reason, it is not necessary to do any preparation for the test. Candidates are given a choice of two essay questions; they are required to write on one of these.

    Accompanying the essay questions will be one or two related reading passages. Candidates will be expected to integrate relevant information and ideas from these passages into their essays.

    A dictionary will be provided for use during the test.

  4. Assessment

    In assessing essays, examiners will take into account the following:

    • the success with which candidates select and focus on relevant arguments and evidence from the reading matter
    • the success with which candidates integrate their reading into the development of their own ideas on the topic
    • the fluency with which candidates develop an argument and support it with evidence.
    • the organisation of the writing, especially the success with which paragraphs are used to keep the line of the argument clear.
    • the clarity and accuracy of the English used.

    Candidates will not receive a mark for the test. Instead, results will be in the form of a recommendation to the Faculty's admission officer, along with written comments about how the candidate did or did not fulfil the assessment criteria.

    Where an applicant is unsuccessful on the FAET test, the Faculty will recommend that the applicant provide a further result from an accepted language test eg. IELTS, TOEFL.

  5. Further Information

    Liz Nolan
    Liz.Nolan@arts.monash.edu.au
    International Relations Office
    Faculty of Arts, Monash University
    Tel: 9905 2111
    Fax: 9905 1497

Sample - Faculty Of Arts Admission Essay Test (Faet)

MONASH UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARTS ESSAY TEST

Time allowed: Up to 3 hours

You are required to write an essay of about 750 words (about 3 pages) on one of the topics below. Indicate clearly whether you have chosen TOPIC 1 or TOPIC 2.

Your answer should be based on the evidence referred to in the passage provided - Approaches to learning - written by John Biggs.

Topic 1

John Biggs' outlines three approaches to learning - 'deep, surface and achieving'. How well do you think his account can explain the success or failure of students at university level.

Topic 2

The main reason why certain students are not successful at university is that they do not have the right 'approach' to learning. Discuss.

In writing your essay, you should pay attention to these things:

  1. Make sure you put forward your own point of view
  2. Support your view with your own arguments and experience, as well as arguments or evidence to be found in the reading passage .
  3. Use your own words rather than those in the reading passage, unless for some reason you wish to quote them. Give page references to any material you use from the reading passage.
  4. Pay attention to the structuring of your paragraphs as stages in your argument.
  5. Take care with your English sentence structures, choice of words and so on.

A dictionary will be supplied.

Use the loose paper provided to make drafts or notes but write the essay itself in the examination book provided. Only the essay itself will be taken into account.

Arts Academic
Language and Learning Unit