ERIC Number: EJ1476159
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2731-5525
Available Date: 2025-07-03
The MSRT: A Critical Review of English Proficiency in Iran
Muhammed Parviz1; Masoud Azizi2
Discover Education, v4 Article 226 2025
This article offers a critical review of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology English Proficiency Test (MSRT), a high-stakes exam required for postgraduate graduation, scholarships, and certain employment positions in Iran. Despite its widespread use, the design and implementation of the MSRT raise concerns about its validity and fairness as a measure of language proficiency. Grounded in Kunnan's Test Fairness Framework, this review evaluates the MSRT's structure, content, and psychometric properties, with a focus on key dimensions such as test purpose, validity, reliability, access, and social consequences. Drawing on both empirical studies and theoretical perspectives, the article highlights critical shortcomings in areas including content relevance, transparency, authenticity, administration and alignment with educational goals. In particular, the misalignment between MSRT and the communicative and academic needs of postgraduate students undermines its usefulness and equity. The article concludes by calling for comprehensive reforms in the test's structure and administration to ensure that it better supports fair, accurate, and contextually appropriate assessment practices. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing discussions on language testing reform in Iran's higher education system.
Descriptors: Language Tests, Language Proficiency, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, High Stakes Tests, Foreign Countries, Test Validity, Test Reliability, Test Format, Content Validity, Psychometrics, Accountability, Alignment (Education), Graduate Students, Usability, Test Bias
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iran
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Imam Ali University, Department of English, Tehran, Iran; 2Amirkabir University of Technology, Department of Foreign Languages, Tehran, Iran