About 85% of 8,700 final year undergraduates participating in an international English assessment have been graded 'competent' or 'good', the University Grants Committee says.

This year 57% of all full-time and part-time final year undergraduates took part in the International English Language Testing System under the Common English Proficiency Assessment Scheme, 19% more than last year.

The average overall score is 6.51 on a nine-point scale, compared with 6.46 last year. Some 85% of the students obtained a score in the 6.0-7.5 range, which means they are 'competent' or 'good'.

Students do better in reading, listening

Among the four modules of the testing system, students on average did better in reading and listening, scoring overall 7.00 and 6.61.

The committee is sharing the results with the eight tertiary institutions to facilitate them in formulating their language enhancement strategies and programmes.

Committee chairman Alice Lam said the scheme can offer a common frame for us to see a comprehensive picture of the English proficiency of university graduates, and the higher participation rate implies the scheme is attracting more recognition.

Civil Service Bureau accepts test results

The committee has received positive comments from professional and employer bodies. The Civil Service Bureau also accepts the testing system for recruitment purposes.

An overall band of 6.5 or above with no subtest score below band 6 obtained in one sitting in the system test are accepted as equivalent to a pass in the Use of English paper of the Government's Common Recruitment Examination within two years from the date of the system test.

Scheme registration to open in mid-September

The committee will continue to organise the assessment scheme in the 2004-05 academic year. It will open for registration from mid-September to mid-October.

All final year undergraduate students of the committee's funded degree programmes can join the scheme. Test fees will be reimbursed if students agree to reflect their participation in the scheme in their transcript.