Description:

The MELAB is mainly for students who are applying to universities in the United States, Canada, and The United Kingdom, where the language of instruction is English, and is accepted as evidence of English language proficiency by universities as an alternative to the TOEFL. The MELAB is also administered to professionals who will need to use English in their work: for example, to engineers who come to the U.S. for on-site training at large manufacturing companies, etc. The MELAB is NOT evidence of certification for purposes to teaching English.

The MELAB is designed to measure proficiency in the four basic language skill areas: writing, listening, reading and speaking. The entire MELAB lasts 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours (including check-in at the examination site) and consists of the following:

Part 1: A written composition

Part 2: A listening comprehension test

Part 3: A grammar, cloze, vocabulary, and reading comprehension
___ __ test

Speaking test (optional, not available at all test centres)

The speaking test is not automatically included in every MELAB administration. It is required for some candidates seeking professional certification and for applicants to the University of Michigan. If you are applying at the graduate level to a university in the U.S. and want to be considered for a teaching assistantship in order to receive financial aid, it is strongly recommended that you include the speaking test in your MELAB test. The speaking test is not available at some test centres.

THE SPEAKING TEST MAY NOT BE TAKEN SEPERATELY FROM THE REST OF THE TEST

All test forms in the official MELAB are secure and are not for sale. To register for MELAB, contact the test centre of your choice. All test papers are scored at the English Language Institute of the University of Michigan (ELI-UM).

The MELAB is given in the U.S. and Canada. There is very limited availability of the MELAB outside of the U.S. and Canada, where it is given only as a sponsored group test. The optional speaking test is not available for any test outside3 the U.S. and Canada.

The MELAB is a general proficiency language test. It is not linked to any particular book, language study program, or course study. The best way to develop proficiency in a language is through active use of the language for communication combined with the study of materials that widen exposure to the language. Learning a language is a continuing process.

You can prepare for the MELAB by becoming familiar with the format test, so that you have an idea of what to expect.

You can prepare for the writing part by writing on a topic for 30 minutes. How well do you communicate your ideas? Do you write clearly? Does your writing show that you have a wide range of vocabulary? Are the words you use appropriate?

You can prepare for the listening test by giving yourself frequent opportunities to listen to spoken English.

You can prepare for the speaking test by having conversations with native speakers about various topics in which you express your opinions or preferences. Do you have the vocabulary and control of sentence structure to express yourself easily? How well are you able to interact? When the topic switches to a new one, are you able to move smoothly to the new topic?

A variety of English language learning materials are available at bookstores and libraries. Some materials are also available which give students practice with multiple-choice language tests. The ELI does not sell any particular materials. We do recommend A Student™s Guide to the MELAB, by Mary Spaan (UM Press, 1992), available at bookstores or through the UM Press at (800) 621-2736 or (773) 702-7000 if you are outside the U.S. This book can also be purchased on Amazon.com.

You may also take a sample test and answers for the sample at the ELI website