FAQ - AMIRAM

No. The test does not assess speaking or writing in English.

Subject	AMIR	AMIRAM
Object of the test	Determining level of placement in English courses in educational institutions, or exemption from these courses	Determining level of placement in English courses in educational institutions, or exemption from these courses
Type of test	Pen-and-paper test	Adaptive computerized test (The difficulty of the test is adapted to the level of the examinee)
Examinees	Anyone is entitled to take the test	Test at NITE's branches or internal test for students registered at specific educational institutions
Test administration dates	The test is administered on set dates	The test is administered at NITE's branches regularly or on varying dates selected by the educational institutions
Determining exemption from English courses	The test score may grant exemption from English courses at educational institutions	The test score may grant exemption from English courses at educational institutions
Determining placement level in English courses	The test score may determine placement level in English courses	The test score may determine placement level in English courses
Special test accommodations	Special test accommodations may be requested	Special test accommodations may not be requested
Use of dictionaries	Dictionaries and electronic dictionaries may not be used	Dictionaries and electronic dictionaries may not be used
Leaving the test early	It is not allowed to leave the test early	Depending on the test format, as soon as examinees finish, they leave and let other examinees come in
Score scale	50 – 150	50 – 150

 

AMIRAM works on the principle of an adaptive test: at the beginning the questions that appear are moderately difficult, and from then on the program continuously assesses the examinee’s skill level on the basis of the answers given to the questions up to that point, and chooses the next question accordingly. So an examinee with a high level of skill in English will receive harder questions than an examinee with lower skills. The adjustment of the questions’ level of difficulty to the examinee’s skill level allows an accurate assessment of the level of knowledge of English with a relatively small number of questions. It is important to note that although different examinees will probably be given different questions, this is taken into account when calculating the scores, and all examinees’ scores are comparable and equivalent.

No. No knowledge or previous experience using a computer is required. The operation of the test is very simple and only a few keys need to be used. However, if you have any difficulty operating the test, you can request assistance from the proctors.

The AMIRAM test is not divided into sections like the Psychometric Test. Nevertheless, the questions are arranged in groups of different types. There are three types of question in the test: • Sentence completion • Reading comprehension • Restatement Questions of any of these types may appear in more than one group in the test.

The time taken by the test is not the same for every examinee: it depends on the individual speed of each examinee, including the time taken to read the instructions and answer the practice questions. The average time is about 60 minutes.

There is no time limit for reading the instructions and explanations before the test and answering practice questions. The time taken for this purpose is not part of the time allocated for the test and is not taken away from it, so you can take as much time as you need.

No. The practice questions in AMIRAM are only there to show how to enter the answers on the computer, so it makes no difference whether your answers are right or wrong. We recommend answering at random for practice and saving your strength for the test itself.

No, there are no breaks. If you need a bathroom break between groups of questions, you will be accompanied by a proctor.

At the end of the time allocated for a question the next question appears. If you entered any answer before than, even if you did not press Enter, this answer will be confirmed automatically at the end of the allocated time. If you did not enter any answer, the question will be marked as an error.

In AMIRAM, a missing answer is marked as a wrong answer. So if you don’t know the correct answer, any answer, even a guess, is better than none.

In AMIRAM there is no way to go back to earlier questions, so you should answer carefully and be sure of your answer before going on to the next question.

In reading comprehension questions the passage is displayed first for a set time. You can use the up and down arrow keys to scroll and read the whole passage. You should read the whole passage before continuing to the questions relating to it. To continue, press the Enter key. After you press Enter the questions relating to the passage will be displayed one by one. At this stage the computer screen is split into two sections: the top section shows a window containing the passage, where you can go on scrolling up and down using the arrows; the bottom section, below the passage, shows the current question.

You must wait a minimum of 35 days between two English screening tests (between two AMIR tests, two AMIRAM tests, or between AMIR and AMIRAM or vice versa). An examinee who takes a second test within less than 35 days will be disqualified and the test fee will not be refunded. An examinee whose test is disqualified must wait a minimum of 35 days after the disqualified test before taking another English screening test.

The AMIRAM score is equivalent to the AMIR score or the score in English in the Psychometric Test.

No. The law states that every academic institution is entitled to determine its own admission and screening policy. You will therefore need to confirm with a specific institution whether it will recognize the score.

This too depends on the policy of the specific institution you applied to where you plan to study – or are already studying. You should confirm the answer with the relevant institution.

Each academic institution makes its own independent allocation to levels of English based on AMIRAM scores. At some institution there will be a table displayed outside the test all showing what AMIRAM score corresponds to what level of English course. In any case, you should apply with your score to the English teaching department of the institution where you study to find out the level that you are qualified for.

You don’t need to bring a watch. During the test a clock appears in the corner of the screen, showing how much time you have left to give your answer. If the clock interferes with your concentration, you can hide it by pressing F12.

Each question has four possible answers, marked with the digits 1, 2, 3, and 4. You should choose you answer and select its number using the number keys on the keyboard. The number you chose will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. Press Enter to confirm your answer. Until you press Enter you can change your mind and select a different answer simply by pressing its number. The new number will appear at the bottom of the screen instead of the answer you selected before.

The test is administered several times in succession, and examinees are summoned according to the number of computers available. If you do not arrive by your allocated time, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to take the test. It will depend on a place becoming free (for example, if another examinee is late or there are examinees who work fast and finish early, etc.) In any case, examinees who arrive at their allocated time will have priority.

Breakdowns rarely occur during the AMIRAM test. However, if there is any failure, you should raise your hand immediately and wait for a proctor. In such cases a recovery program is executed which will allow you to go back to the beginning of the section of the test where the problem occurred.