Towards the Standardisation of the English Language Component of the Mature Students’ Entrance Examinations into Ghanaian Universities

Rethinking the Individualistic Approach

Abstract

The Mature Students’ Entrance Examinations (MSEE) is one route through which most Ghanaian universities admit students for undergraduate studies. This paper was purposed on advocating the standardisation of the English language component of MSEE. It was argued in this study that the English language component of the MSEE must be administered by an especially constituted regulatory body of national character to ensure that it is standardised, rather than the relying on the individualistic approach being practised presently. It was advanced that the individualistic approach (where the universities set their own questions based on their own standards) is fraught with quality problems. A qualitative desk survey method was assumed comprising 102 appropriate literature which were reviewed and synthesised. It was indicated that having a regulatory body of national character regulating the English language component of the MSEE is crucial to ensure test quality. It was recommended that a paradigm shift (from the individualistic approach) will help ensure quality standards for admissions, as done with the use an analogous examination such as the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) which is the main conduit for university undergraduate admissions in Ghana.