Investigating Cognitive Complexity Level of Iraqi EFL Sixth Grade Preparatory Learners' Ministerial Exams

Abstract

The research paper tries to rate and investigate cognitive complexity level of Iraqi EFL sixth grade preparatory learners' ministerial exams. The study sample is the forms of the final ministerial exams for the academic years (2019-2023) administered to the Biology branch students for both the first and the second sittings. The study instrument is a scale built by the researcher. After extracting face validity and reliability of the instrument, research data are described and analyzed by using different statistical techniques.

The research paper finds that the ministerial test formats have paid much attention to the cognitive levels of knowledge and application because of the ease with which test asks are formulated and the ease of answering them by students. However, the test formats have neglected higher order cognitive levels: analyzing, evaluating and creating, especially the last two levels which do not have any scores in the study analysis. Though writing tasks are meant to measure the level of creating, still the majority of the students memorize ready-made texts related to the pre-determined topics of writing. One solution might be to increase the writing tasks and to remove the ministerial specification of the topics tested in the final exams. Moreover, it is found that the ministerial exam formats do not specify test items that attend to oral skills: listening and speaking though the syllabus contains tasks related to both. Finally, the study puts forwards some recommendations based upon the findings.