Evaluation of the Iranian State University EFL Entrance Examination Test (UEEET)

Subject Areas : All areas of language and translation

Gholam-Reza Abbasian ¹ , Hadieh Nasirian ²

1 - Imam Ali & IA (South Tehran Branch) Universities
2 - Islamic Azad University (South Tehran Branch)

Received: 2016-08-08 Accepted : 2016-08-08 Published : 2015-12-01

Keywords: Iranian State University EFL Entrance Examination, Test Usefulness, Test Evaluation,

Abstract :

The motive behind this study was to evaluate the Iranian State University EFL Entrance Examination Test (UEEET) based on Bachman and Palmer’s (1996) ‘Usefulness Six-faceted Model ‘accommodating Relia- bility, Validity, Impact, Interactiveness, Authenticity, and Practicality. To do so, thirty professors and one-hundred EFL freshmen were selected randomly from five universities. A questionnaire consisting of thirty likert-scale items and six open-ended questions were developed based on Bachman and Palmer’s (1996) framework. They were administered to both groups of the participants along with the 2013 sample of the Iranian State UEEET. In addition to the questionnaire, a structured interview consisting of ten questions was also run for the purpose of triangulation of the data. Based on the findings, both groups evaluated the UEEET mainly less reliable, less practical and entailing negative impacts, while they held positive views towards its validity, authenticity, and interactiveness. Certain contradictions in the results leave the space open for further investigations, of course. Overall, the UEEET is evaluated as a test enjoy- ing an acceptable degree of the Usefulness criteria.