4 tests may replace EMSAT to evaluate students' knowledge, abilities and skills

Mohamed Ibrahim. Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has revealed that four standardised tests may be used by universities to evaluate students' knowledge, abilities and skills following the cancellation of the Emirates Standardised Assessment Test (EMSAT).

The most notable of these are TOEFL, SAT, TOEFL iBT and IELTS for English skills.

The Ministry has indicated that universities have been given greater autonomy in determining admission criteria, with the objective of attracting students whose academic and professional aspirations align with the institution's academic requirements.

Each university is thus empowered to establish its own admission criteria, independently of other institutions.

Consequently, it is incumbent upon students and parents to familiarise themselves with the admission requirements of each university, and to ascertain the specific academic specialisation in question, through direct communication with the relevant universities, in order to ensure that they meet the requisite standards in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations.

Scholarships

It clarified that the presence or cancellation of the EmSAT test is not a prerequisite for obtaining scholarships at universities, as each university establishes the conditions and requirements for scholarships in accordance with its internal regulations.

It is therefore incumbent upon students and parents to acquaint themselves with the scholarship requirements of each university, according to the academic specialisation in question, by communicating directly with the relevant universities.

It is the responsibility of each university to publish its admission criteria on its website, thus facilitating access to this information for students.

Equivalency System

The Ministry has announced amendments to the requirements of the equivalency system for twelfth grade students in private schools that follow the American curriculum following the cancellation of the EMSAT test.

Students of this curriculum are now required to pass the English language tests and one of two English language tests: TOEFL with a score of no less than 61 or the SAT 1-Math Reasoning Test with a score of no less than 450.

Admission Requirements

As stated on the website, the admission requirements for students following the cancellation of EmSAT are more focused on the grades achieved in the scientific subjects related to the specialisation in high school, rather than on the overall percentage or EmSAT score achieved in the twelfth grade.

It also highlighted the pivotal role of universities in qualifying students who require additional support to engage in their university studies. Students may be accepted and registered in remedial courses and programmes that enable them to obtain the necessary knowledge to commence their desired specialisation.

The Ministry has also stated that the cancellation decision necessitates the provision of greater flexibility to universities in determining their admission criteria, in accordance with their specific requirements.

This would enable them to assume responsibility for establishing the admission criteria. Furthermore, it has been clarified that there are no plans to introduce alternative standardised tests. Instead, universities are encouraged to implement rehabilitation and bridging programmes to assist students in attaining the requisite qualifications for admission to their programmes.

Furthermore, the Ministry has stated that it will maintain its oversight of the admission process, with the aim of guaranteeing its efficacy and integrity in evaluating students' knowledge and abilities.

Furthermore, it is developing assessment standards for universities based on their outcomes. This will facilitate the enhancement of the quality of higher education, rather than focusing on a single standardised test at the point of admission as was previously the case.