BRIDGING THE GAP IN ACADEMIC READING: EVALUATING SUPPLEMENTARY ENGLISH COURSES AND THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF MUET AMONG ESL UNDERGRADUATES

This study examines the variability in academic reading performance among ESL undergraduate students, focusing on the relationship between Malaysian University English Test (MUET) proficiency levels, quiz score disparities, and the effectiveness of supplementary English courses. Despite passing at least one supplementary course, students with lower MUET bands (≤3.5) exhibited significantly lower quiz performance than their higher MUET counterparts. Descriptive statistics revealed substantial score variation, with supplementary course students achieving a mean quiz score of 16.88 (SD = 6.17) compared to 20.96 (SD = 4.98) among non-supplementary students. An independent samples t-test confirmed a significant performance gap (t = -2.82, p = 0.0066), with a moderate-to-large effect size (d = 0.73). Correlation analysis indicated a moderate positive relationship between MUET bands and quiz performance (r = 0.431, p = 0.0007), while regression analysis showed that MUET explained only 18.6% of the variance in quiz scores (R² = 0.186, p = 0.001), suggesting that additional cognitive and instructional factors influence reading comprehension. These findings highlight the limited predictive power of MUET and the incomplete effectiveness of supplementary English courses in bridging the academic reading gap. The study underscores the need for pedagogical interventions beyond standardized test preparation, focusing on reading strategies, cognitive engagement, and discipline-specific literacy support. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts of supplementary instruction and alternative assessment models to better gauge students’ academic reading readiness.