Language Proficiency Index

The Language Proficiency Index or LPI is a Canadian standardized test for English proficiency written and administered by the University of British Columbia Applied Research and Evaluation Services. The results of this test are used mostly by post secondary institutions and professional organizations within the Province of British Columbia and in the territory of Yukon.

The test is 2.5 hours long and consists of five components, Parts I and II are multiple choice and deal with catching various grammar related mistakes. Part III is a reading comprehension section, also in multiple choice. Part IV deals with writing brief summaries of a short piece of writing and Part V is an 300-500 word essay.

External links

• LPI Homepage
• Scoring guide

General Information

The LPI, which is administered on the campus of the University of British Columbia, focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on the written English of the student.

The last section of this test (the essay) is the most important, with many colleges and universities requiring only a certain level on this section, while ignoring the first sections. However, this is not true of all post-secondary institutions. The test is also required by several non-academic institutions.

The test is not specifically designed for ESL (English as a Second Language) students, but was instituted approximately forty years ago to ensure that students graduating from high school have a sufficient level of written English to enter university-level English courses. Nevertheless, the test is especially hard, and often extremely hard, for ESL students. However, it is also not uncommon for English-speakers to fail numerous times, albeit not as often as students whose first language is not English.

Despite the fact that many (especially ESL) students view the LPI unkindly (or worse) the test has a great deal of integrity and, it can be reasonably argued, gives a far better picture of the student's true English level than high-school grades or all other standardized tests.

The test is graded in an extremely fair and unbiased way. The marking system is very strict and is not nearly as open to an individual marker's "personal opinions" of an essay as most English-language essay tests.

This results in fairness in the system beyond most, if not all, other English essay tests, as a student cannot get an "easy" or a "hard" marker. It is not uncommon for the two markers who read each essay to grade a large number of essays before "disagreeing" with each other on the Level, resulting in a process in which the two markers must reach an agreement on the Level of the essay.

Nevertheless, a large number of failures (8 to 15, or more) are not uncommon, especially among ESL students. Although very uncommon, some students have failed over 30 times. However, as the test reflects the student's written English, a student who fails a large number of times could reasonably be getting extremely high grades in university-level courses. This is especially true for ESL students who may have problems with English, but may be getting an "A" in university-level Physics, Math or Commerce courses.

The students are given three topics to choose from.

The test currently costs CDN $57.

Grading the Essay

Each essay is graded independently by two "markers" who must both give the same Level (from 1 to 6) to each essay. The markers each give a numerical grade to an essay, with a perfect score being "40". The grade the student receives is determined by adding the grades of the two markers together. Each marker, therefore, grades the essay out of "20" but the student receives the score out of "40".

At the University of British Columbia, for example, a grade of "30" (Level 5) is required, so a student must get a minimum grade of "15" from each marker. Since the grade is not a percentage, a score of "20" cannot be viewed as 50%, and a score of "30" cannot be viewed as 75%. Viewing the numerical grade as a percentage would distort the real meaning of a given grade.

As grades for Level 5 are "15" "16" and "17" a student might get a grade of "31" if one marker gives the essay "15" and the other "16". However, almost all students who pass with Level 5 receive a "30" score. Some Levels have a single numerical grade; others have several.

Should the two markers disagree on the Level of an essay, they must reach a consensus. Different grades may be given by the two markers, but not different Levels. For example, grades of "12" and "13" are both classified as "Level 4" so, if given these numerical scores, the student would receive a "25-Level 4". However, if the two markers give different Levels (say, a Level 4 score of "13" and a Level 5 score of "15") there must be an agreement reached, and the student is given either a Level 4 or a Level 5 (in this example, the final essay score would be either "26-Level 4" or "30-Level 5"). In case of a disagreement, there is a multi-stage process involving the two markers (and possibly other markers) to reach a consensus.

Each essay receives both a numerical score out of "40" and a "Level" (from "Level 1" to "Level 6").

The test does not distinguish between ESL and non-ESL writing, except at "Level 3". ESL students receive a score of "20" and although English speakers can get a Level 3, the numerical grade is not "20". A writer receiving this grade would have significant problems in his or her written English. At all other Levels, it is impossible to determine whether the student is ESL or non-ESL from the grade.

The student can also get a "Level 0" but this Level indicates that the essay was not scored and does reflect the student's ability to write the essay section well. There are a few reasons why a student might receive a score of "zero". The two most common reasons for this score are that the essay does not have the required minimum number of words (300) or that the essay is off-topic.

The LPI and ESL Students

Although fairly marked, the LPI is a major hurdle for the large ESL population at UBC and in other schools where the test is required.

It is hard to exaggerate how difficult it can be for these students to pass the LPI.

This problem is not the LPI's or, in fact, anyone else's.

Approximately 20% of students in British Columbia do not even graduate from high school, and a large percentage of those that do graduate decide not continue to post-secondary institutions. The high-school system cannot ask or expect university-level English from its students without disenfranchising the majority who have no need for it.

Because of this, students who have no difficulty in high school English suddenly find that what has not been a problem for years is now threatening their ability to continue their education. In addition, there is widespread misinformation about how the test is actually graded, and it is uncommon that a student understands what he or she really needs to do get a Level 5.

Adding to this problem is that the LPI is somewhat secretive about the precise way in which the test is graded. This leads to teachers who are helping a student to pass also not understanding what is really causing the student to fail. The amount of misinformation or partially-correct information from the teaching community is pervasive and widespread.

Even many good-willed teachers are pointing students only roughly in the direction the students should go because even they do not understand the marking system well enough. Some people who understand the test feel that the books published by the LPI itself, although clearly accurate in what they say, also fail to explain the marking system clearly.

It is not uncommon to find that students who have failed the test 15 times and had a variety of teachers still do not really understand what the grades they are receiving actually mean and what they have to change in order to pass. There is usually a lot of "unrelated to passing" issues among "the ones that really matter".

An additional problem for these students is that some of the words in the topics may be difficult for them to understand, despite their high-level understanding of English. Whereas an English speaker always has all of the three topics on the test to choose from, it is not uncommon that ESL students do not when a particularly difficult word is in one (or two) of the topics.

It would be a difficult task to adequately express the frustration of these bright and academically-oriented ESL students who have not only failed something for the first time in their lives, but also failed it 5 to 15 times.

Adding to students' stress and frustration is that many parents, who also have never seen their children fail in school, incorrectly blame them for this problem because they "didn't make enough English-speaking friends" or they "didn't read enough English books" or they "didn't work hard enough when studying English grammar". Although seemingly reasonable explanations, none of these issues have contributed to the student failing the LPI.

As the cost of the test is $57 and it is expensive to receive help from teachers, either privately or in classes, there is often a financial burden on the family. It is not difficult for a student to spend well in excess of $1,000 -and sometimes even several thousand dollars- to pay for the tests and the teachers. From the standpoint of (especially) private tutors, it can be lucrative to promote themselves as "experts" in the LPI and charge students a considerable amount of money when they, themselves, do not understand the grading system. It is very difficult for students or their family to know how well the person understands the LPI. Since the test threatens the students' ability to graduate from university, many millions of dollars are wasted by the ESL community each year paying for inappropriate help.

However, given how difficult the test is to pass, appropriate assistance is expensive, and even the most diligent student can fail many times, even when receiving correct information.

Myths about the LPI

It Matters Where and When You Take the Test

It is common that students think that taking the test at a certain time or in a certain place may increase their chance of passing or getting easier topics.

Despite the fact that this would jeopardize the fairness of the test and would never be contemplated by the LPI itself, the rumours persevere in the student population.

None of them are true, but these ideas continue to spread around the campus of the University of British Columbia, and to a much lesser degree, in other schools.

The LPI Just Wants a Student's Money

Some students, especially those who have failed many times, think that the test is simply a way to make money and nothing else. Although the LPI can make money in the same way that most individuals and enterprises do, the test was neither instituted nor is it used today as a way to get students' money.

Some students also feel that the markers may fail them in borderline essays because the student is then forced to pay for additional tests. This is clearly false, and if the markers lean in any direction at all, it is to give the benefit of doubt to students who take the test.

Problems with the LPI

What constitutes a "problem" is somewhat a matter of personal opinion. However, as the LPI or other members if its community have the opportunity to express their opinion in the Wikipedia forum, responses in this section are appreciated.

Insofar as Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not a chatroom, this section may or may not be useful in the long run.

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Problems with the Grading System

The biggest problem with the LPI is the strictness with which the markers grade the students' grammar -or more precisely- that the inclusion of several incredibly minor errors can easily tip the scale sufficiently to fail a student who would likely have no problem passing university-level English courses.

Since it is an English test, grammar is essential, but the LPI markers note-and in conjunction with other more significant errors- fail students for errors minor enough to be missed by even the strictest English professor (who, in any case, is more interested in content than the minutiae of English grammar).

Significant errors are marked and these errors damage the student's chance of passing more than minor ones. However, when several minor errors that would probably not be noticed by an English professor push the grade to a "Level 4" rather than a "Level 5" passing the LPI becomes especially onerous and failing the student unnecessary. Given that ESL students can reasonably be expected to make at least a few significant errors -but not necessarily enough to fail them- the wisdom of failing students for a few "additional" minor errors, like comma mistakes or writing "It was me" instead of "It was I", becomes an issue.

The question is not whether some of the errors are incorrectly marked wrong (they are not), but whether it is necessary to fail students solely because these minor errors push the essay from a Level 5 to a Level 4 when they would likely not be noticed outside of the LPI marking committee.

Accepting a limited number of error that are deemed to be quite "minor" and not allowing a few of these errors to affect the Level of the essay seems reasonable.

In addition, markers do (and should) correct expressions in English that they deem wrong. However, the strictness with which they mark "debatable" errors (like a specific word choice) wrong can make a student fail when outside of the LPI a "neither incorrect, nor perfectly-worded phrase or word choice" would likely not catch even a careful reader's eye.

Is the LPI Committing Suicide?

Approximately five years ago, UBC required high school students to have 86% in English to exempt them from the LPI. At that time, the LPI was an easier test than it is currently. The test was changed in several ways with the January 10th, 2004 LPI.

UBC then lowered the required English grade to 80% in order to exempt a student from the test, excluding a large number of students from having to take the LPI.

UBC then lowered it again and now requires a 75% average.

In the process, a very substantial number of students no longer are required to pass the LPI.

From the perspective of Grade 12 students, this is seen as only to their advantage as they know the test is extremely difficult (again, especially for ESL students).

An individual's perspective on the wisdom of excluding so many students may depend on that person's view of the LPI and its usefulness.

However, when 86% was required to exempt students from the LPI, it was not difficult to find students with 80 to 85% in English who had taken the LPI numerous times and had never received above a "Level 3" -indicating real problems with university-level English, despite the fact that in a high-school setting their grades were very high.

By lowering the required average from 86% to 75%, the university excluded a large number of students from taking the LPI many of whom who would not have been able to pass the test

However, there has not been an outcry from masses of English professors that excluding the large number of students who have now been exempted has filled their classes with students unable to pass university English.

Furthermore, the summer of 2009 will have classrooms of students exempted from passing the LPI by agreeing to take the English courses at UBC's campus in the Okanagan. A review of whether students pass these courses will likely reveal that there are but a few serious problems, despite the repeated failures of the LPI by these students. Any reader who doubts this should just wait until the end of the summer and see whether there have been an inordinate number of students failing these Okanagan courses.

This could present an argument that the LPI is unnecessary since it is doubtful that there will be a significant number of students failing these LPI-exempt UBC English courses.

However, the fact that there will almost certainly be no serious problems in the Okanagan English courses does not indicate that the LPI is unnecessary, but only that it is flawed with its current too-severe marking system. As it was easy in 2003 to find students with 85% in Grade 12 English with serious problems with their English, it is not hard to find students today who are repeatedly failing the LPI but who have very strong English skills that would easily have them pass university English

The marking system is severe enough to fail students with strong English when their writing is looked at under the microscope of the LPI marking committee, and, at the same time, the continuing lower requirements for exemption from the LPI is letting students who have serious problems with English escape the LPI when it would be useful and should be required.

The fact that there has been no wholesale failure of the exempted students since 2004 shows that the LPI is marked with a level of severity that is beyond what university-English actually requires.

The LPI is both failing students who would, almost with doubt, not struggle to pass university-level English, and at the same time, with the increased exemptions, letting students who really do have serious problems escape the test.

The fact that the LPI does not dictate who is forced to take the test is not the issue; the issue is why UBC has exempted so many students who would actually benefit from the test because they really do have weak English skills.

UBC has many things to consider in exempting students as it tries to attract them worldwide, as well as locally.

The LPI can be a major part of a student's decision-making process when choosing a university. Bright, highly-motivated ESL students have heard "horror stories" of students who have had to face this challenge [Example: a 19-year-old UBC student born-and-raised-in-Vancouver with Chinese-speaking parents failing the LPI 25 times at a cost of nearly $1,500].

International students who look at UBC take it as a serious challenge and potential threat to their education. Attracting the brightest students in face of this threat is a hurdle. The LPI is widely known overseas by international students who are looking at universities to attend.

Locally, it is seen the same and as a serious thing to consider for ESL students when choosing a university.

In addition, many professors in Arts and Applied Science, as well as most other Faculties, are frustrated as they have to contend with students dealing with a large workload plus the LPI. As not passing the LPI by the deadline suspends the student's education because registration is blocked, professors have to deal with temporarily losing some of their students. Some faculties have reacted by being more lenient about blocking registration.

All of this puts pressure on the University to make it easier for students to avoid the LPI, but whether this is the reason for exempting so many students is something only the University knows!

Being a little less strict on the marking and getting UBC to raise its requirement for an LPI exemption (now unlikely) would require students who would benefit from the LPI to take it.

The LPI is so difficult to pass for some students, as it now stands, that it is a major issue for (mostly) ESL students when choosing a university and may, at the same time, have UBC lowering the LPI requirement to be able to compete for students in the competitive business of attracting the brightest possible students.

Problems with the Numerical Grades

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Problems with the Test Schedule

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