Case study

National University of Mongolia

Leading University in Mongolia uses TOEIC Test Scores to Measure English Proficiency in Teachers

Professors and students of the National University of Mongolia (NUM) recognise that English has quickly become a world language and is vital to succeeding in an international workplace. Because of this, NUM employs English teachers that can effectively teach the language to its students.

To ensure that its students are receiving the best English training possible, NUM needed to measure the English proficiency of its English teachers. NUM had its English teaching staff take the TOEIC® Listening and Reading test and realised that their proficiency levels were lower than expected.

NUM provided English training to its staff, and now requires all incoming English teachers to take the TOEIC Listening and Reading test and achieve a minimum score of 800.

University Snapshot: National University of Mongolia

The National University of Mongolia (NUM), the first higher education institution in Mongolia, was established with the vision of becoming a world-class institution of excellence in research, innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainable development. The university features over 15 academic departments, including Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Economics, Business, Law, Biology and Computer Science.

Quick Facts

  • Established: 1942
  • University President: Galtbayar Artbazar
  • Campus Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  • Undergraduate Students: 20,000+
  • Academic Staff: 1,000+

Challenge

As one of the top universities in Mongolia, the National University of Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar (NUM) prepares its 20,000+ students in over 15 different professional fields including Engineering, Business Law, Mathematics and Computer Science, and offers 80 undergraduate and graduate programmes. Professors and students at the National University of Mongolia recognise that English has quickly become a world language and is vital to succeeding in an international workplace.

According to national higher education standards in Mongolia, all students must study General English for 6-8 credit hours during their college career. Due to this requirement, NUM employs English teachers to instruct its students in the English language. According to NUM’s academic directors, employing qualified English teachers who can effectively teach the language to students is necessary in order to prepare students for their chosen professions. To ensure that its students were receiving the best English training possible, NUM needed to measure the English-language proficiency of the teaching staff.

Solution

In order to measure the English proficiency of its English teaching staff, the National University of Mongolia required its teachers to take the TOEIC® Listening and Reading test and achieve a minimum score of 800.

Results

After the TOEIC test administration in October 2012, the university reviewed the results and quickly realised that its teachers’ English proficiency levels were lower than they had expected. NUM worked with their teachers throughout the course of the 2012-2013 calendar year by providing language training. Additionally, the University of Mongolia makes all incoming English teachers aware of the minimum TOEIC test score required. By requiring all of its English teachers to achieve a TOEIC test score of at least 800, school administrators are confident that its students are receiving the highest quality English-language training available.

About the TOEIC Tests

For more than 30 years, the TOEIC tests have been the global standard for measuring workplace English-language communication skills. The TOEIC tests are used by nearly 14,000 businesses, organisations and government agencies in 150 countries.