Validating GULS: An Open-Access Dutch Language Proficiency Test
Abstract
Previous post-entry language assessments (PELAs) research in higher education shows that
academic language proficiency contributes to academic achievement. PELAs are particularly
valuable for higher education systems with minimal to no admission requirements to identify
and support at-risk students. However, the availability of PELAs for languages like Dutch,
beyond English, is limited. Moreover, existing Dutch PELAs and their construct validity
evidence are not publicly accessible, and predictive validity analyses typically do not reach
the program-specific level. Therefore, the present study introduced the Ghent University
Language Screening (GULS), an easy-to-administer, free and publicly accessible Dutch
PELA. More specifically, GULS evaluates reading comprehension of first-year students in
higher education. First, we confirmed the construct validity of GULS at model and item level
and its reliability using data from the two three-year periods 2017-2018 to 2019-2020 (N1 =
12,527) and 2020-2021 to 2022-2023 (N2 = 17,204). Second, we examined GULS’s predictive
validity for academic achievement (i.e., Grade Point Average and study success) on data over
the same two periods across sixteen bachelor study programs (n1 = 8,244; n2 = 10,891),
followed by predictive validity analyses for each study program across the combined six-year
period. Results demonstrate that GULS is a valid and reliable PELA to assess Dutch language
proficiency, especially for first-year higher education students requiring language support to
ensure equal educational opportunities. As such, GULS functions as a predictor of first-year
academic achievement. We discuss the possible application of GULS in future educational
research and practice due to its accessibility.
Keywords: post-entry language assessment, academic achievement, higher education,
validation
Bassleer, M., Schelfhout, S., Fonteyne, L., Leuridan, M., Duyck, W., Dirix, N. (in press). Validating GULS: An Open-Access Dutch Language Proficiency Test. Impact Factor: 3.9. Ranking Q1 (top 10%). PDF available here
