Students’ Perception on Malaysian University English Test (MUET)

Reflections and External Factors

Abstract

Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is a proficiency test conducted by Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM) to evaluate students’ level of English proficiency as a requirement for them to pursue their education at any local tertiary level institutions. This study is conducted to identify the students’ perception on MUET in terms of how it reflects their language skills and the external factors contributing to the assessment of the MUET. In this descriptive survey study, 30 undergraduate students from a local university were chosen to be the participants. A survey questionnaire consisting of agree/disagree and open-ended questions was distributed to collect the data. The findings of this study showed that MUET does reflect the students’ English proficiencies generally and there is evidence of external factors influencing MUET’s assessment that centers on students’ anxiety and the venue of the listening test (e.g., conduciveness, background noise). The open-ended section revealed the listening test as the main concern and that it needed the improvement the most. This study can benefit the test administrators to enhance the language test in ways that concern the test-takers the most.