What is MUET ?

English Literacy Revival

The world has been undergoing rapid changes since the middle of the last
millennium. With the 'Information and Communication Age' sweeping across the world's
leading economies, the knowledge pendulum has been swinging far and fast across the
spheres of economy, employment, lifestyles and communication.
The ICT Age and its kindred buzzword the k-economy, with all their revolutionary
ideas and benefits such as greater access to information and communication and changes
in employment skills and competencies are replacing the traditional ways people do
things and proven strategies to address the evolution of issues and trends. Likewise,
people's lifestyles are in a constant state of flux as they cope with unemployment, job
changes that require re-training and flexibility, the need for multi-skilled employees and
an emerging desire for greater personal fulfillment.
As a result of the ICT Age, Malaysia, like the rest of the world, found herself
facing some radical changes, which, towards the end of the last century, were reaching a
critical point. A traditional society is passing away and another is forming. A new society
is on the rise, one which follows the wake of globalisation of the world's economies
through the Internet wave.
Progress in industries, development of new trades, changing relationships between
employers and workers, greater self reliance of workers who were also called to be
flexible and possess multiple skills, mobility and resourcefulness are some of the positive
challenges of a globalised world. For countries that do not attempt to keep up, it meant a
world increasingly separated by the digital divide.
In keeping pace with the digital age, the Malaysian government had promptly
introduced guidelines for schools, universities and the human resources council to create
a lasting paradigm of learning to be instilled in our children and the k-workforce. Among
the guidelines formulated was a corpus for dealing with the question of Malaysians'
literacy in IT and the English language.
The corpus was developed on the foundation that the government, academics,
economists and human resources council would analyse social realities, make judgments
about them and indicate directions to be taken for a resolution of the problems involved
in adapting to the new economic order.

It then became apparent that one of the social realities confronting Malaysians
was the international revival in the recognition of the importance of English language
literacy paralleled by the national deterioration of its usage and mastery. Not being able
to use, let alone master, the language of the computer and Internet age was seen as a
spectre of doom over the future state of Malaysia, considering the reliance on, and reward
from, Internet-based enterprises such as e-commerce, e-business and e-learning as
experienced by the globalised knowledge economy.
Herein lay the government's challenge to all schools, colleges and institutions of
learning in both public and private sectors. Malaysians are increasingly made aware of
the initiatives proposed by the government that institutions of learning try to adopt for
their curriculum, strategies such as e-learning and SMART learning in the classroom to
encourage lifelong learning and the application of intelligence. In addition, the
government also called for civil servants and human resources personnel to channel their
funds towards upgrading their skills in using the English language. These were some of
the fundamental principles governing the creation of IT and English language literacy.
Equally fundamental to developing language literacy was the testing of the
level of literacy. In the national education system, English is taught and tested as a
second language from the first year of an individual's primary education to the end of
their secondary education in Form Five. However, English ceases to be taught or tested at
the Sixth Form or pre-university level. Ironically, upon entry into the local public tertiary
institutions, these students are required to undergo a course in English language
proficiency.
It was with the dual purpose of filling the gap with respect to the training and
learning of English and that of consolidating and enhancing the language literacy of the
Sixth Form and pre-university students, that the Malaysian University English Test
(MUET) was first introduced in 1999.
MUET's Objective
The MUET syllabus aims to equip students with the appropriate level of
proficiency in English so as to enable them to perform effectively in their academic
pursuits at tertiary level. From a broad bulbous base, the syllabus is designed to bridge
the gap in language needs between secondary and tertiary education by enhancing
communicative competency, providing the context for language use that is related to the
tertiary experience and developing critical thinking through the competent use of
language skills.
Specifically, the syllabus deals with all the four language skills - Listening,
Speaking, Reading and Writing. The test instruments are devised to measure the
respective skills at a subsidiary level of proficiency, i.e., between the Credit Grade of the
O-Levels and the minimum Pass Grade of the A-Levels English.


The test measures and reports a student's level of proficiency based on an
aggregated score range of zero to three hundred (0 - 300). Candidates are placed on the
aggregated score range with respect to six levels of achievement, i.e. proficiency levels 1
- 6. A Statement of Result will be issued to every candidate who has sat for the entire test.
The MUET is conducted by the Malaysian Examinations Council, which is a
statutory body established under the Malaysian Examinations Council Act 1980. The
body works in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Universiti Malaya,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak,
Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
Test Arrangements
The MUET is administered twice a year, i.e. in June and December. The
timetable for the test will be sent to candidates through the respective State Education
Departments.
The respective State Education Departments will determine the test centres for
candidates based on the candidates choice of town in which he/she wishes to be tested.
Entry forms can be obtained from the State Education Departments. The completed forms
should be submitted to the Education Department of the state in which the candidate will
be tested.
The opening and closing dates for registration will be announced by the
Malaysian Examinations Council in the local newspapers in February and August.



MUET Test Preparation
A number of leading Matriculation colleges and private English language schools
and institutions have recently incorporated a MUET Test Preparation course into their
programmes. Among the Matriculation colleges are Kolej Matrikulasi Melaka, Kolej
Matrikulasi Negeri Sembilan and KYP MARA Kota Bharu.
Leading the private sectors' pack is ELS Language Centers Malaysia, whose
MUET Test Preparation course combines the use of MUET test analysis and test-taking
strategies with UNITAR's MUET CDs. It is a 6-week programme which emphasises
teacher-guided instructions and practice exercises on the four examination components -
Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
Inquiries about the MUET Test Preparation programmes can be made at the
respective colleges and schools.

Article Contributed by:
ELS Language Centers Malaysia
Suite C-07-01, Plaza Mont Kiara
No. 2, Jalan 1/70C
Off Jalan Bukit Kiara
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603-6201 6218
Fax: 603-6201 6989




Prepared by Luculus U6A1 / Feb 2014