International tests of English: are they fit for purpose?

This paper begins by exploring some empirical data of my own in which non-native English speaking students at an international university discuss their views of ‘international’ English language university entry tests. It goes on to consider what I believe to be lacking in the content of such tests, that is, evidence of an awareness of the sociolinguistic implications of the international spread of English, and of recent findings in relevant areas of applied linguistics research. I argue that of these, research into English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has the greatest relevance for international English language entry tests because of the fact that international universities are, in essence, composed of communities of ELF users. Having discussed the notion of ELF, I turn to some of the most prominent international tests currently in use, in order to examine the extent to which they are fit for the purpose of assessing potential university students’ suitability for study in an English lingua franca environment. The paper concludes by considering what kinds of changes the testers need to implement to bring themselves in line with international university environments