| Abstract: | The number of NESB students in higher education has increased in recent years. Among the cultural factors that adversely affect the studies of some of these students are difficulties associated with the English language. Students with language related problems need to be identified early so that they can be encouraged to participate in the available support programs. A 20 item screening test (AUSTEST), quickly administered to large groups, has been developed on medical students at the University of Sydney. The test has evolved through a program of screen testing 1146 first‐year students (40% NESB) over the course of 5 years. The final cross‐validation study of a three‐phase process of test development with 81 students produced a correlation of 0.86 with a well established but more expensive individually administered English‐language proficiency battery, correctly identified 31 of the 33 students who were below the general population average, and correlated 0.43 with aggregated final marks in first‐year medicine. Although developed on medical students, the AUSTEST may be of more general use to other faculties who enrol significant numbers of able NESB students. |
