Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing on NUFYPET
NUFYP entrance exam is developed by Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing. We prepared interview with Cambridge Admissions Testing that will uncover interesting details about NUFYP entrance exam.
What is Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing? What is Admissions Testing’s international experience?
Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. We are a world-leading team of experts in admissions testing and our tests are administered in 150 countries worldwide.Our tests help universities around the world identify students with the skills for success in academic study and give university applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their potential. Our work is underpinned by research we are committed to supporting fair access to higher education.We are staffed by a team of highly qualified and experienced subject and assessment specialists supported by a hand-picked team of technical administrators. The team works closely with a wide range of governments and universities around the world. We design and set admissions tests in medicine, science and thinking skills for many of the UK’s and the world’s leading universities and schools.
What steps did Admissions Testing do to prepare to write the NUFYP entrance exam? What challenges did you face?
We undertook a number of carefully planned stages in designing and setting the NUFYP entrance examination:Initially, we had a number of face-to-face meetings in Kazakhstan with NUFYP to ascertain their specific entrance needs. This included extensive discussions, consultation and background reading to allow us to gain a detailed understanding of NUFYP, its position in country, its purpose and aims, and the nature of its student intake. This allowed us to plan our strategy in detail to help us develop our bespoke entrance tests for NUFYP.We then consulted more widely across Kazakhstan, visiting a wide range of private and state run secondary schools to understand how the education system operates and to conducted extensive interviews with staff and students during our field visits. This allowed us to gain a more detailed understanding of cultural contexts to supplement our background reading and research. We also consulted a wide range of standard school textbooks in Kazakh to help us understand the details and daily execution of the Kazakh curriculum.The information gathered form our consultation with NUFYP and our school-based fieldwork, then led to our constructing a first set of draft tests. Draft tests are constructed according to our standard Cambridge assessment processes and pass through a number of independent checks with external consultants prior to deployment. In addition, as the native language of the prospective cohort is not English, we then asked an independent language expert to check that the level of language was appropriate.Draft tests were then sat by a small cohort of students in Kazakhstan. We used the results from this first trial and detailed statistical analyses to help us construct a second set of trial entrance tests. These were tested on a large cohort of school students in a number of test centres across Kazakhstan. This second trial was then analyzed. As a result of this process we built a strong portfolio of information and data to allow us to set the first live entrance tests for NUFYP.We faced no major challenges. Throughout the process, the staff at NUFYP were very cooperative and we built string collaborative working relationships.
Could you please give some overview and explain the difference between current assessment practices and practices that were used 10 years ago?
The underlying principles of assessment have not changed dramatically in the last ten years. However, as one of the world’s leading admissions test developers, we have developed and refined our own underlying assessment philosophy and taken advantage of the increasing availability of data and data-analytical tools to enhance and refine the way we develop and set tests.
How do you prepare a test for Kazakhstani students that is culturally relevant and academically fair?
For each test setting cycle we undertake a number of protocols to ensure our tests are fair and culturally appropriate. In the initial stages of question setting and first draft test construction we draw extensively on previous years’ tests results and detailed statistical analyses. The tests drafts are then checked by a number of independent assessment consultants to ensure they are academically fair and robust. We then ask a team of teachers in Kazakhstan who are acquainted with both the target cohort and the education system to work though and comment on all the draft questions. We use this extensive portfolio of feedback to ensure the final tests meet the very highest standards.
How does working in Kazakhstan compare to the tests you prepare for other countries?
We work extensively with a wide range of universities and education systems around the world. The hallmark of Admissions Testing is the close and collaborative relationships we build with clients as we develop and run tests for them.Working with NUFYP continues to be both immense privilege and pleasure. It is a great privilege to work with a new university in central Asia as it evolves and builds towards becoming a leading research and teaching institution. And it is a pleasure to work with the highly dedicated, professional and friendly staff at NUFYP.
What steps do you take to ensure that the NUFYP ET provides a fair entrance test for all NU candidates?
The extensive test development processes and yearly test-setting cycle that we undertake are all designed to ensure tests are fair.In addition, we ensure that test preparation materials are freely available to all and that our tests assess underlying abilities rather than the educational background of candidates. We publish detailed test specifications to allow all candidates to prepare and to ensure that no candidate has an advantage over others as a result of their schooling or socio-economic background. We conduct extensive statistical reviews of our tests to ensure they do not discriminate on the basis of gender or background
What are the greatest challenges that higher education faces?
One of the greatest challenges for higher education is ensuring that it produces graduates that have the skills required for the modern global workplace. In a fast-paced, international environment, graduates need not just subject expertise but also the thinking skills to constantly adapt to new challenges and solve emerging problems, as well as the soft skills to communicate and work in teams with colleagues across the world.Higher education also faces a challenge in ensuring fair opportunities for students from all parts of society. Whether students come from big cities or rural locations, and whether they come from well educated families or not, higher education must ensure it reaches out so that all young people have the opportunity to achieve their true potential.And of course, most recently, higher education institutions face huge challenges in dealing with the global Coronavirus pandemic. Universities will need to find a fair way of selecting applicants who have missed part of their schooling and who may not have their school leaving qualifications. Universities may also have to consider delivering courses online, where restrictions are still in place. And, of course, universities may struggle financially if they are unable to fill their student places or if they need to remain closed.
What has been the most interesting and/or rewarding aspect of the partnership with NU?
We have enjoyed working in an education system that is evolving and driven by a coherent vision and desire for improvement. It has been interesting to witness the success of the foundation Programme. This success is clearly down to the high quality staff that NUFYP employs and the dedication of the NUFYP team. It has been deeply rewarding to play a small part in this success. It has also been a wonderful experience to have been able to visit such culturally rich and vibrant country.
