Newly-enrolled students at the Syrian Private University started to take their English language placement test. This is the first time in SPU history that incoming students are expected to sit for a placement test before enrolling in the English language courses required from all university students. Previously, students use to simply enroll in the required courses without any prior testing of their actual level. As of AY 2018-2019 students have to take the Oxford Online Placement Test, then placed in classes suitable for their learning needs in the levels defined by the Common European Framework to Reference for Language (CEFR)

This is a first in the Syrian educational system, public and private that a university uses an international standardized online placement test. The common practice is that students either take a paper-based, cumbersome test that take a long time to administer and grade, or take locally-developed internet-based exams. The OOPT on the other hand is an adaptive test that uses artificial intelligence in setting questions based on the answers of the students in real-time mode.

For more on the test and English at SPU, kindly visit the English Language page on the University Website.