Psychometrics project launched to assess students, academic staff in Malaysia

• UPSI and Mimos jointly develop instruments that assess students’ suitability to their field of study
• ‘It is time Malaysia adopts a methodical and objective approach such as this,’ says Mimos head

UNIVERSITI Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Perak has launched UPSI Pscychometrics, a project developed in collaboration with Mimos Bhd, to be used by educational institutions to better assess students as well as academic staff.
 
UPSI and Mimos combined their expertise and technologies to jointly develop four instruments that can be used to better assess the suitability of students with regard to their field of study, thus maximising their potential, Mimos said in a statement.
 
The Psychometrics Cluster at Mimos promotes psychometrics in Malaysia, and claims to have expertise in the fundamentals and application of psychometrics theories and techniques, as well as psychometric-related technologies for educational as well as psychological testing in Malaysia.
 
Dr Haniza Yon, head of Mimos’ Psychometrics Cluster, said the four developed tests are Aptitude Test for University; Proficiency in ICT; Computer-assisted English Language Test and Ujian Nilai Bitara.
 
“This psychometrics profiling will enhance decision-making in the selection of students by systematically gauging their abilities as well as evaluate the proficiency of university staff,” she said.
 
“It is time Malaysia adopts a methodical and objective approach such as this, which will benefit not just the university, but also the community in the long run,” she added.
 
The Aptitude Test for University (AT4U) identifies students’ potential and can also identify the best candidates for placement in programmes offered by the university.
 
The Proficiency in ICT (ProfIT) test measures the competencies of individuals in using various ICT applications for placement purposes. It can identify individuals’ strengths and weaknesses in ICT competencies and assists learning institutions in the evaluation and benchmarking of their ICT programmes, Mimos claimed.
 
The Computer-assisted English Language Test (CaELT) serves as a placement test for programmes based on students’ strengths and weaknesses in the English language.
 
Lastly, the Ujian Nilai Bitara helps in professional development and selection of academic staff to ensure that they are aligned with the institution’s vision and mission.

 
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