Examining Results and Establishing Benchmark Data from the TOEFL ITP Test - Special Issue - Preliminary Research

Sep 30, 2026

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Exploratory research analyzes TOEFL ITP results for students at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS). The study follows a February 21, 2013 administration and replaces an AUIS “homegrown” placement entrance exam used for five years. Among 271 recorded scores, variables include Academic Preparatory Program (APP) level, native language, gender, and links to test scores and APP grades. Descriptive statistics cover 85 females and 187 males.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Study Purpose

Participants

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Procedures

[www.aasrc.org/aasrj](www.aasrc.org/aasrj) American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal Vol. 5, No. 3, April 2013 Special Issue Examining Results and Establishing Benchmark Data from the TOEFL ITP Test Rosalind Warfield, Rachel Laribee, Roger W. Geyer The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) Sulaimani – Kirkuk Main Road, Raparin Sulaimani Governorate Kurdistan Region, Iraq [rosalind.warfield@auis.edu.iq](rosalind.warfield@auis.edu.iq), [Rachel.laribee@auis.edu.iq](Rachel.laribee@auis.edu.iq), [roger.geyer@auis.edu.iq](roger.geyer@auis.edu.iq) Abstract. This exploratory research study reports on TOEFL ITP test scores of students at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) . This test replaces a “homegrown” placement entrance exam in use at AUIS for the last five years. Two hundred seventy-one scores were recorded for the test given February 21, 2013, which represents 85% of students enrolled in the Academic Preparation Program (APP). Variables of interest include students’ APP level, native language, gender and their relationships to test scores and students’ grades. Descriptive statistics were collected on 85 females and 187 males across four levels of APP. Kurdish is the predominant language (73.16%) followed by Arabic (21.32%); the remaining students speak a variety of different languages (5.52%) . Mean differences in scores across APP levels were statistically significant across all levels except 3 and 4 . Examining test scoresand their grade equivalencies across reading and writing/grammar ITP scores showed weak correlations (r = .156 and r = .109, respectively) but a moderate correlation (r = .334) for listening. Research is ongoing. Keywords: ITP, Iraq, TOEFL, AUIS, Kurdish, EFL 1 INTRODUCTION The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, in the northern Kurdish region, began operations in 2007 . The Academic Preparatory Program (APP), a four-semester pre-academic course of English language training, has used an English language test written by instructors to place students in appropriate levels. Although this test was never psychometrically evaluated, the general consensus of the APP administration was that the test was reliable and valid based on student performance in the assigned levels. However, the availability of the TOEFL ITP, a professionally designed and universally recognized test from the Education Testing Service (ETS) (“TOEFL ITP Test,” 2013) in Princeton, NJ, seemed an opportunity to make our evaluation and placement process a more accurate indicator of student ability (and perhaps of future success), and the decision was made to use the ITP exclusively for placement beginning February, 2013. The current study is an attempt to begin to validate that assumption. 2 THE STUDY The goal of this study is to establish a benchmark of data from which appropriate research questions can be raised and answered. These questions are driven by the desire to understand our student population at AUIS in order to improve and refine student placement and to better gauge student readiness for advancement through the APP and into the undergraduate program. Further, it is also of considerable interest to examine how gender, ethnicity, and student background (including socio-economic standing) affect student learning at the APP and academic levels at AUIS. [www.aasrc.org/aasrj](www.aasrc.org/aasrj) American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal Vol. 5, No. 3, April 2013 Special Issue 2.1 Purpose The purpose of this preliminary study is to analyze results of the first data generated from ITP testing. Since such a large population of students was tested, it is especially important to document and capture all data relating to this event. Through this initial effort we hope to articulate appropriate research questions that will lead to a better understanding of how to prepare Iraqi students for success in an American style university setting. 2.2 Participants Of 320 student

FAQs

What does the TOEFL ITP replace at AUIS, and when was it used for placement?

It replaced AUIS’s homegrown placement entrance exam. Starting February 2013, the ITP was used exclusively for placement.

How many students took the TOEFL ITP exam for this study?

276 students took the exam, while 21 additional students tested the following week were not included. Five reported scores were discarded due to formalformed or incomplete data.

Which factors were analyzed in relation to TOEFL ITP performance?

The study examines APP level, native language, gender, and their relationships to test scores, as well as correlations with reading, writing/grammar, and listening grade equivalencies.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by noah