A key challenge that many Language Schools face is sorting incoming students into the right classes for their English level. Paper-based tests upon arrival are often used for this purpose – causing a headache and wasted time for students and teachers alike. Many language schools, such as Etherton Education, English in Chester, and Alphabet Street have found a more convenient alternative in the Dynamic Placement Test.

Based in Somerset, in the UK, Etherton Education provides academic summer courses to students planning on studying in a British boarding school or university. Since 2002, the company has aimed to bridge the gap in education for students arriving to study in the UK for the first time. The goal is to acclimatise the students to a new culture, prepare them to tackle a different academic syllabus and improve their language skills through intensive English classes.

The Challenge: Sorting students into classes

Becki George from Etherton Education explains the arduous testing process that the school, and many others like it, used to follow:

Etherton has been using Clarity’s Dynamic Placement Teste for about two years now to get an idea of the students’ level of English prior to their arrival. Previously, we would conduct a paper-based placement test on the day the student arrived, but this was incredibly stressful for all concerned. Some students would have travelled for 24 hours to reach us, and then almost immediately have to take a test – not the most enjoyable welcome!

On top of the stress this would cause students, all these paper-based tests would then have to be marked and sorted into appropriate classes by teachers. A headache indeed!

The Solution: Online testing prior to arrival

Becki George explains how having students complete the Dynamic Placement Test prior to arrival has streamlined the entire arrival and preparation process:

Now, with the Dynamic Placement Test, not only are the students able to take the test at home, or somewhere they are comfortable, but we can also have the class structures ready well in advance of when they get to us. This takes a lot of pressure off teachers, administrators and the students at the start of the course.

The set-up process

Etherton Education receives course applications throughout the year, so they test candidates in batches. They set 10 applicants to a group, and as soon as they have enough applications to form a group they start a five-step process:

1. “First, we send a personalised email directly to the applicants introducing the Dynamic Placement Test, informing them what it will be used for, and letting them know that the test will come out the following day from ClarityEnglish.

2. We then go to the test’s Admin Panel, create a group, import the students, and schedule a test –usually giving students seven days to complete it.

3. The next day, we sent out the automated welcome emails with all the test details.

4. We keep an eye on the results coming in and midway through we send reminders to any students that have not yet completed the test.

5. Once the tests have been completed and all the results have come in, we download the results in Excel. After collating the results from all the different groups in a spreadsheet, we begin to organise the class structures.”

Advice for other users

“We have found that the key to ensuring that the test was successful were the additional emails. We found that sending out an introduction email to the students, from our own email address, to advise them that an online test will be sent to them soon, and to let them know who it was coming from, was key! This email also acts as a check to verify the email address the educational agent provided us with, so we get fewer failed emails on the ClarityEnglish system when it is set up. We also copy it to their educational agent if applicable, as we found keeping the agent informed and involved in the pre-arrival procedures made it easier to ensure deadlines are met. The midway-stage email really helped to get more tests completed per group. This is also copied to the student’s educational agent to help prompt the student.’

“Finally, trust the system – if any issues occurred, the Dynamic Placement Test team would investigate promptly and thoroughly, offering suggestions for the best way to proceed.”