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20 May 2020

Dear Health Sciences applicant
 
At the University of the Free State (UFS), we understand that the current COVID-19 situation is raising many questions for a matriculant who wishes to apply for university study in 2021. We acknowledge the concerns you may have and would like to share important information that should put your mind at ease:
 
1.     The due date for applying to the Faculty of Health Sciences remains 31 May 2020.
 
2.     The following will not be a requirement when applying to study at the UFS in 2021:
 
-          NBT test results
-          Grade 12 June examination results
 
3.     The following is required for application to study at the UFS in 2021 and must accompany your application for admission:
 
-          Grade 11 final examination results  
 
4.     The following supporting documents that you are required to submit together with your application, may be forwarded to FHSApplications@ufs.ac.za at a later stage when the lockdown level makes it possible for you to have these forms completed:
 
-          The school value-added form
-          Confirmation of good health by a medical practitioner
-          Only in the case of applying for Occupational Therapy selection: a motivation (no more than 250 words) can be submitted instead of the proof of a visit to an occupational therapy practice.
 
Therefore, we urge you to apply as soon as possible before the deadline and then send the outstanding documents at a later stage.
 
We look forward to receiving your application to study at Kovsies in 2021!

News Archive

Universities join hands in developing literacy tests
2010-03-19

 
At the signing ceremony, from the left, are: Prof. Driekie Hay (Vice-Rector: Teaching and Learning), Prof. Albert Weideman (Head: Department of English) and Prof. Lucius Botes (Dean: Faculty of the Humanities).
Photo: Supplied


The development of academic literacy tests recently took a step into the future with the formal establishment of the Inter-institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA).

ICELDA, under its first executive head, Prof. Albert Weideman, Head of the Department of English at the University of the Free State (UFS), is a cooperative venture between the multilingual Universities of Pretoria, North-West, Stellenbosch and the Free State.

It is dedicated to the development of reliable state-of-the-art academic literacy tests and currently makes 32 000 tests available to partnering universities annually.

Most notably, it has produced three of the most reliable academic literacy tests in the country. These include an Academic Listening Test and the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) for undergraduate students, with reliability levels that are more than 20% above international benchmarks.

“We are even more excited about our Test of Academic Literacy for Postgraduate Students (TALPS), which is already a crucial instrument in determining the literacy levels of postgraduate students at the Universities of the Free State, Pretoria and North-West,” said Prof. Weideman.

In addition, ICELDA is currently piloting studies for language tests for financial advisors, nurses, students of disaster management, as well as police studies at Unisa.

ICELDA will also collaborate with the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC) at the National University of Singapore.

“One of the undertakings I made on my visit to Singapore a year ago was that I would assist in every way I could with the building of joint expertise with CELC in language testing,” said Prof. Weideman.

“However, our focus will remain firmly on research.”

He said his goal was to employ the surpluses generated by selling tests to provide promising students with bursaries to stimulate further study and design of academic literacy and other language tests.

By drawing more researchers into the field, Weideman said, ICELDA could provide the capacity for developing reliable language tests that South Africa had always lacked.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
19 March 2010
 

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