English language test settings in higher education admissions policy in Australia

2025

Project:  Exploring factors influencing English language test settings in higher education admissions policy in Australia

To be admitted into higher education institutions in English-speaking countries, international students often take a large-scale English language proficiency test. University admission staff are therefore important test score users. Previous research has focussed on the assessment literacy of admissions staff in relation to specific large-scale English language tests (e.g., Baker et al, 2014; O’Loughlin, 2011, 2013) or a specific set of tests (Ginther & Elder, 2013). What has not yet been investigated is how admissions policy settings in relation to English language tests are made or amended, who is involved in making these decisions and what factors might influence changes to admissions policies. The current study aimed to fill this gap.

Interviews were conducted with admissions managers from 31 of 42 Australian universities. In the interviews, staff were asked to describe examples of instances when English language test requirements in their admissions policy were changed, including the factors that initiated discussions about changes. The findings showed that a range of both internal and external factors triggered changes, or change discussions, including feedback from academic teaching staff, results from systematic tracking studies, comparisons with other similar, universities, major global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and changes to external regulations. The findings are explained drawing on the multiple streams framework (Herweg et al, 2024). The study has both theoretical and practical implications, including for language testers interested in better understanding processes involved in admissions policy-making and for efforts to improve the assessment literacy of policy makers.