Sitting for an English paper at the GCE (Advanced Level) will be compulsory for students seeking admission to Universities and Higher Technological Education Institutions from this year.

Therefore, from 2012 onwards it is a must for students intending to enter universities or higher education institutes to sit for the General English exam paper in addition to the other three selected subjects at the A/L exam, the Ministry of Higher Education said.

The Higher Education Ministry in a release issued yesterday (March 07) stated that every head of the country’s schools have been informed of this matter through the Directors of Education.

While a special program has been designed in order to improve the English language knowledge of student entering into universities and higher education institutions, making it mandatory for students to sit the A/L General English exam paper was the initial step of the program, says the Ministry.

The results obtained by students from the General English examination will be used as a measurement in order to enroll the students into English language courses within the universities.

A program has been drawn to provide a comprehensive English knowledge to students seeking higher education, the first stage being the General English subject at the GCE (Advanced Level).

Students will be graded according to the marks they get in General English at the Advanced Level Examination.

They will then be directed for various English language courses in Universities.