Lieungnapar , Angvarrah; Pojanapunya, Punjaporn; Thanyathamrongkul, Rattima

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Thailand; School of Liberal Arts, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand; Faculty of Liberal Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, Thailand

Abstract: This study investigates the English skills assessed in university-developed English exit examinations (EEEs) and those considered essential by employers in workplace contexts, with implications for understanding the relationship between higher education assessment practices and workplace English demands. Twelve EEEs from Thai universities were analyzed. Employer expectations were examined through surveys with 59 recruitment professionals, followed by interviews with 15 participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data from interviews and open-ended survey responses were analyzed thematically with support from corpus analysis techniques. The findings indicate that receptive, form-focused skills are more prominently represented in EEEs, consistent with university curricular goals, whereas employers emphasize dynamic, task-oriented communicative competencies. The study highlights the need for universities to clarify the intended purpose of EEEs. Specifically, universities should determine whether their examinations are designed primarily to certify foundational linguistic competence or to assess graduates’ readiness to use English in professional contexts. If universities aim to align assessment more closely with workplace language use, assessment and instruction may benefit from integrating more scenario-based communication tasks, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and industry-informed English training to support graduates’ transition from university to the workplace.

Key words: English exit exams, assessment, proficiency tests, workplace needs

Note: This is a pre-proof version and is subject to change during the editing process.