The scarcity of places for students at university is likely to be felt more acutely in 2020, and the Grade 12s of 2019 will no doubt be affected when they apply to study. The number of places available as opposed to the number of applications is a national issue. Given the scarcity, universities will increasingly use language tests such as the academic and quantitative literacy component of the NBTs, as well as other, similar tests, to decide whether places should be offered to prospective students. This will be felt more acutely in the case of prestigious courses, and the ones that are in high demand.
Can one prepare for tests of academic literacy?
There is a mistaken belief that one need not, or cannot prepare for academic literacy tests. This is simply not true. Familiarity with the format of such a test gives one a substantial and, in our experience, measurable advantage. Participants in a workshop presented by LCaT will actually take such a test, in order to acquaint themselves not only with the possible format of these tests, but with multiple-choice format assessments in general. They will also become familiar with most of the types of subtest that one may expect in any standardised test of academic literacy. What is more, they will complete the answers on an optical reader sheet, as is the case in almost all academic literacy tests.
Full and detailed information is available at the LCaT Academic Literacy Workshop.
The LCaT Academic Literacy Workshop: what to expect
The three-hour workshop, overseen by Professor Albert Weideman, will start by introducing and defining academic literacy, and explain how tests measure this. After students have written the test, and have marked it, the interpretation of the results will be explained. Finally, a more detailed analysis of the sub-components of the tests will be given. Students will afterwards be able to practise further, by completing the four other tests in a highly specialised and unique workbook that they receive at the workshop: Academic literacy: Five new tests.
Further feedback to the school
Subsequent to the capturing of the answers, the school will be given an even more detailed analysis of the results of the participants.
Full and detailed information is available at The LCat Academic Literacy Workshop.
Book now!
Language Courses and Tests 