BSI Holds TOEFL Pre-Test for Class of 2026 to Identify Students' Learning Needs

Gowa – The English Language and Literature Department (BSI), Faculty of Adab and Humanities, UIN Alauddin Makassar, held a TOEFL pre-test for its new students on 2 and 9 October 2026. The test was organized by the Faculty's English Language Laboratory and took place at the laboratory. Its purpose was to identify students' learning needs and to provide baseline data for academic evaluation.

<!--[if gte vml 1]> The test was held in two sessions on different days. Classes AG 1 and AG 2 took the test on Friday, 2 October, and classes AG 3 and AG 4 took it on Friday, 9 October. Both sessions ran from 3 to 5 p.m. Among 91 first-year students, 83 of them joined this test.

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Most of the students were taking the TOEFL for the first time, and many said it was quite challenging. Even so, the results were fairly encouraging for first-time test takers. Total scores ranged from approximately 300 to 530, with an average of about 352 and a median of 347.

Most students scored between 310 and 399. About 43 percent were in the 310 to 349 range, and about 36 percent were in the 350 to 399 range. Around 10 percent scored below 310, and another 10 percent scored 400 or higher, including two students who scored above 450. The class averages were close to each other, between about 348 and 354.

The section scores show where students were relatively stronger. Listening had the highest average, at about 38. Reading Comprehension came next at about 35, and Structure and Written Expression was the lowest at about 33. Individual section scores varied quite widely, so students' starting points differ even though the class averages are similar. The results suggest that grammar and written expression may need more attention as students move through their courses.

These scores show where students stood at the beginning of their studies. They are not a final measure of English proficiency and do not predict how students will perform later. For many students, unfamiliarity with the TOEFL format may also have affected their results.

For the department, the data give a starting point for understanding students' needs and for planning English language support. They can also be compared with the results of later tests to see how students progress.

With this pre-test, the department and the English Language Laboratory have begun to track students' English development from their first semester.