Issues in the Development of Standardized Proficiency Tests (Language Skills and Components): Academic Vocational: BULATS, TOEIC, & TOEP

By: Marwa and Erlik Widiyani Styati

The standardized test such as TOEFL and IELTS are discussed in the previous chapter. The other standardized test are BULATS, TOIEC, and TOEP. BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) is a multilingual set of workplace language assessment. It is used internationally for business and industry recruitment, for identifying and delivering training, for admission to study business-related courses and for assessing the effectiveness of language courses and training. The language skills in BULATS are listening, reading, writing, speaking. Topics in BULATS refers to the real-life topic. The test can be done without particular software but it needs internet connection. The listening and reading test in online. There are also knowledge and grammar in online test. It takes about an hour in doing the test and the result is available at the end of the test.

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is a benchmark of English language skills in listening and reading and measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment. TOEIC is used to assess non-native English proficiency and is currently used in many countries as a standard measure of English ability. The skills are listening and reading where in listening, test takers listen to a variety of questions and short  conversations recorded in English, then answer questions based on what they have heard (100 items total). In speaking test takers read a variety of materials and respond at their own pace (100 items total). The other skill speaking and writing; the test takers speak and write in English their responses to real‐world questions and scenarios.

The tests use common everyday vocabulary, phrases and key expressions used in business. Test‐takers do not need specific business knowledge to do well on the test. There are two main formats to the TOEIC test, the Secure Program (SP) and the Institutional Program (IP). The differences between these relate primarily to the way they are administered. The TOEIC test is developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service), a recognized leader in designing state-of-the-art assessment systems.

TOEP is similar with TOEFL. It is constructed by TEFLIN. It is made because the test maker considers that the international standardized test is very expensive. TOEP is made in  an equivalent English proficiency test for the Indonesians. It can be taken to suit the other standardized test such as TOEFL, IELTS or TOEIC. It measure the Indonesian competence and proficiency. TOEP is in the form listening and reading test. So far it is handled by online service. The form of the test is in multiple choice.

References

www.ets.org/toeic.2012. TOEIC Examinee Handbook—Speaking & Writing. Educational

Testing Service

TEFL e Boot Camp. How to Teach TOEFL® TOEIC® IELTS® and Other Standardized 

Examinations. All rights reserved.

Trew, G.2007.Teacher’s Guide to TOEIC Listening and Reading Test: Preparing Your

Students for Success. Oxford University Press.