Malaysian government raises minimum English entry requirement into public varsities

Beginning next year, students planning to enter local public universities would have to score higher in the Malaysian University English Test (MUET).

This new rule, which was announced in the budget, is supposed to help graduate employability. Various studies have confirmed that proficiency in English language skills affects employability and the amount of salary paid.

The bands refer to the level of proficiency in listening, reading, writing and speaking, with Band 6 indicating top proficiency and Band 1 the lowest.

Currently, students only need to have a minimum of band 1 in MUET to gain university admission.  Students who obtained low scores in their MUET are still accepted, provided they go through English enhancement courses and obtain a minimum grade. The entry requirements are:

• Arts and Social Science - Band 2
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) - Band 3
• Law and Medical courses - Band 4

With the new rule to be implemented, students must be aware of the new minimum MUET requirement according to the field of study.

To graduate, students must now achieve the following:

• Arts and Social Sciences - Band 3
• STEM courses - Band 4
• Law and Medicine - Band 5