Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is a test of English language proficiency, largely for university admissions. The test is administered by the MPM which stands for Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (Malaysian Examinations Council) which also runs the STPM - Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia examinations.
Most candidates who sit for MUET do so as they aspire for admissions into public universities and colleges. All prospective candidates have to register online, through the MPM Website with a registration fee of RM60.00 and the fees will be increased to RM100.00 in 2012. The MPM will administer the MUET three times a year, beginning in 2012.
Government servants currently in service also have to take the MUET for purposes such as promotions. This will ensure that their command of English will adhere to a certain credible standard.
Components, Scoring and Grading
There are four components in MUET:
Listening (800/1)-(45 marks),
Speaking (800/2)-(45 marks) ;
Reading (800/3)-(120 marks);
Writing (800/4)-(90 marks).
The maximum score for Listening and Speaking respectively is 45, 120 for Reading Comprehension and 90 for Writing. The aggregated score for the four papers is 300. The scores are then graded into 6 bands, with Band 6 the highest and Band 1 the lowest.
Band 6- Very good user (Aggregated score:260-300) Very good command of the language. Highly expressive, fluent, accurate and appropriate language: hardly any inaccuracies. Very good understanding of language and contexts. Functions extremely well in the language.
Band 5- Good user (Aggregated score:220-259) Good command of the language. Expressive, fluent, accurate and appropriate language but with minor inaccuracies. Good understanding of language and contexts. Functions well in the language.
Band 4- Competent user (Aggregated score:180-219) Satisfactory command of the language. Satisfactory expressive and fluent, appropriate language but with occasional inaccuracies. Satisfactory understanding of language and contexts. Functions satisfactorily in the language.
Band 3- Modest user (Aggregated score:140-179) Modest command of the language. Modestly expressive and fluent, appropriate language but with noticeable inaccuracies. Modest understanding of language and contexts. Able to function modestly in the language.
Band 2- Limited user (Aggregated score:101-139) Limited command of the language. Lacks expressiveness, fluency and appropriacy: inaccurate use of the language resulting in breakdown in communication. Limited understanding of language and contexts. Limited ability to function in the language.
Band 1- Extremely limited user (Below 100) Poor command of the language. Unable to use language to express ideas: inaccurate use of the language resulting in frequent breakdowns in communication. Little or poor understanding of language and contexts. Hardly able to function in the language.
Locations and Test Dates
The Malaysia Examination Council test centres are largely in national secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) that offers Form 6; Matriculation Colleges, certain universities, as well as certain private and semi-private colleges. The test is run three times annually, in February, July and November beginning next year (2012). As of this year, twice - the MUET June and December papers.
Three MUET components - Listening, Reading Comprehension and Writing, are usually tested on the same day. They are all carried out with the same papers nationwide. Prospective candidates should refer to the MPM timetable as to the dates that the tests are being scheduled.
The Speaking component is tested where the students are divided into groups of four, with different papers, that change for every session (two sessions from morning till noon) and for every examination day. The candidates are tested according to two tasks, A and B. Task A is for individual presentation and Task B is for group discussion. During the test the candidates are first being quarantined. They will remain there until they are called into the test room. This is a standard procedure to prevent them from communicating to people outside the Speaking test group. This is to ensure the integrity of the MUET Speaking Paper.
