![]() According to the CEFR, language ability is divided into six levels, specifically A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2, in ascending order from low to high competence. However, the MoE’s adoption of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) provided institutions, schools, and the general public with a reference for various levels of language competence and testing requirements (Council of Europe 2001). As students from different universities exhibit varying levels of English competence, it is very difficult for the government to formulate uniform standards. Similarly, in the context of Taiwan’s higher education, language testing has been utilized as a tool to enforce the power of the English graduation benchmark policy.Īt present, more than 90% of universities in Taiwan have implemented the English graduation benchmark policy, with each university setting its own benchmark standard. Authors like Shohamy ( 2000) and McNamara ( 2001) have asserted that language testing serves the function of gate-keeping in many contexts. Behind the policy lies the belief that taking a standardized test helps students to prove their English competence, prepare for future employment or advanced studies, and also increase their competitive edge in the global environment. In 2005, the Ministry of Education (MoE) began implementing the English graduation benchmark policy in universities across Taiwan, with the aim to encourage college students to pass a credible standardized English test before graduation. The findings contribute to our understanding of university students as the major stakeholders who defined the context of test use. However, there is no significant relationship between the attitudes towards the policy and test performance. SEM results show that the attitudes of university students towards the English graduation requirement positively impact their perceived test value and their learning motivation. Results further reveal that the Intermediate group shows more positive attitudes towards the graduation requirement than the High-Intermediate group. ![]() The findings show that university students, regardless of English proficiency, generally hold a positive attitude towards the English graduation benchmark policy. ![]() Structural equation modeling was employed to find the best fitting model that illustrates the complex interrelationships among test performance, students’ perceptions of the requirement, test value, test anxiety, and learning motivation. ![]() To this end, this study investigated students’ views of the graduation policy in three universities where students are required to take the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) prior to graduation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the consequences of using standardized tests in support of the policy. This practice has been increasingly criticized for failing to achieve its intended goals of enhancing students’ English language proficiency and increasing students’ career mobility. Having been influenced by the trend of internationalization of higher education, most universities in Taiwan have implemented an English benchmark requirement for graduation, which requires students to demonstrate their English ability at a specified Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level through taking a standardized English language test (e.g., GEPT, IELTS, TOEFL iBT).
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