What GE Teachers Can Glean from UPCAT Results

What GE Teachers Can Glean from UPCAT Results: Lessons Learned and Insights Gained from the Reading and Language Tests

Lalaine Aquino

ABSTRACT

The results of the item analysis of the UPCAT offer insights as to the profile of incoming freshmen. By analyzing the kind of items that “survive” and do not “survive” in the reading comprehension and language proficiency tests in English, one can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the incoming freshmen as ESL (English as a second language) learners. The results of the item analysis give insights as to the nature of reading, the factors that affect reading, the things that distinguish “good” readers from “poor” readers, the qualities of good reading materials, and the nature of the difficulties that ESL learners experience as they learn English. Such information can help GE teachers who conduct their classes in English (be it the skills class like English 10 or a content class like Chem 1) design their lessons and choose materials that are appropriate for their students.

Associate Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Letters