ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has conducted the first Academic Aptitude Test (LSAT) in colleges/universities outside Pakistan through the Higher Education Development Program (HEDP) in Pakistan.
More than 5,000 students with regional, urban and rural, and racial representation participated in this landmark study.
The LSAT, which incorporates modern cognitive skills, is a general aptitude test developed in collaboration with the International Consultant of the World Bank Dr. Salvador Malo.
It focuses on testing students’ “General Reading” in three areas: Information Management, Communication, and Problem Solving.
Since the official launch of the revised Undergraduate Education Policy (UEP) in September 2023, it is important to determine the impact on learning outcomes through evaluation studies, especially in the public sector. Focusing on the relatively under-resourced and under-resourced tertiary education system consisting of affiliated universities and affiliated universities, this assessment was carried out in 16 universities and affiliated universities.
There are 77 universities in Pakistan. Each of the 16 selected universities has approximately 10 branches and represents a major institution with adequate infrastructure and human resources to assess students from their respective colleges and a proven track record of conducting tests/tests for thousands of students.
Unlike most assessments in Pakistan’s higher education sector that focus on assessing students’ skills in specific subjects, the LSAT evaluates students’ general abilities.
This is the first time in the history of public sector universities in Pakistan. All over the world, such tests are used in educational settings to assess general academic ability and problem-solving skills.
This general ability test is a standard assessment that measures various cognitive abilities, including verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and abstract reasoning. It also includes an assessment of critical thinking and mechanical reasoning.
Last year, HEC and Dr. Salvador, put together an assessment tool and held a guidance workshop with 15 faculty members from various higher education institutions in various disciplines and disciplines, including Science, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics and Psychology. . adjusting the research methodology.
Basic LSAT data will build a national foundation for student information management, communication, and problem-solving skills.
The next evaluation will be conducted in December 2024 and May 2025 to assess the improvement in the acquisition of general skills among students studying in joint universities in Pakistan. HEDP is HEC’s flagship project supporting HEC’s strategic areas of research, management, capacity building and IT initiatives for the higher education sector.