1. EmSAT English Achieve

2. Part I: Introduction

3. What is the EmSAT? The EmSAT is a national system of tests
Computerised
Standardised

4. Subjects in EmSAT
Arabic
English
Science
Mathematics

5. Who can take the EmSAT tests?
All students who attend public schools
All students who attend private schools and follow the Ministry of Education curriculum

6. Where and When are EmSAT tests taken?
Where: At authorised examination centres across the UAE
When: At dates which are published on EmSAT’s site

7. The Cost of sitting an EmSAT
There are no examination fees and are FREE to sit

8. Part II: EmSAT Achieve

9. EmSAT English Achieve Examination duration: 2 hours
Five sections in total
Section 1: Grammar
Section 2: Vocabulary
Section 3: Cloze Reading
Section 4: Extended Reading
Section 5: Writing

10. Section 1: Grammar (I)
Test takers select the correct word or words to complete a sentence
Example:

11. Section 1: Grammar (II) The Grammar Domains
Agreement
Intensifiers
Prepositions
Modals
Conjunctions
Word Order
Articles and Determiners
Pronouns
Verb Forms
Conditionals
Phrasal Verbs
Parts of Speech
Quantifiers
Idioms
Questions
Gerunds
Comparatives and Superlatives
Discourse Markers
Additional domains from CEPA: Phrasal verbs, idioms and discourse markers

12. Test takers select the correct word or words to complete a sentence
Assessment of high‐ frequency words needed for an English‐medium environment
Content is primarily informed by the English Profile Project
Words are culturally appropriate and useful in an academic context
Example:
Section 2: Vocabulary

13. Section 3: Cloze Reading
There are two reading texts
Level‐appropriate words have been removed
These words have been replaced with blanks
Test takers must drag the words to fill the blanks

14. Section 3: Cloze Reading (Example)

15. Section 4: Extended Reading (I)
There are three texts
One is a non‐linear prose text (website, advertisement, etc.)
The other two texts are descriptive, narrative, expository, or a combination
The texts are approximately 450 words each

16. Section 4: Extended Reading (II)
Reading Skills Tested
Identifying the main idea
Inference (understanding what is implied)
Understanding the facts
Sequencing (understanding the order of events)
Finding the meaning of an unfamiliar word
Textual coherence (how clear the text is)
Pronoun reference

17. Section 4: Extended Reading (Example: Prose)

18. Section 5: Writing There is only one writing task
Students type their answers
Students should write between 200‐250 words
The task is given in English and is scored by at least two professional markers
Detailed criteria are used
The writing is included in the total score

19. Section 5: Writing (II)
Sample topic

20. Section 5: Writing (Writing rubric)

21. Part III: The Diagnostic

22. EmSAT Achieve Diagnostic Test
The EmSAT diagnostic test identifies which grammatical domains the students have weaknesses in
There is a total of 100 Questions across the grammar domains
The diagnostic will benefit the students with the following:
Identify what the student’s grammatical weaknesses are
Prioritise which domains to work on
Focus time and energy on developing the domains
Inform teacher focus going forward

23. EmSAT marking criteria: http://emsat. moe. gov
EmSAT sample material:
Detailed comparison of EmSAT with CEFR:
English Profile Project:
Useful online help

24. Thank you for your participation