Tertiary Comparison Guide Reading Answers

Mar 26, 2024

Tertiary Comparison Guide Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Tertiary Comparison Guide Reading Answers have a total of 12 IELTS questions in total. This topic has 5 questions in which you have to choose the correct choice. In the rest of the questions, you have to fill up the black choosing appropriate words from the paragraphs.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Tertiary Comparison Guide Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Tertiary Comparison Guide

After purchasing a house and a car, the next major life expenditure is almost certainly the cost of tertiary education. The question is, are prospective university students getting value for money? Paying up to $25,000 for a university education, they need reliable information in order to compare institutions and courses.

There are now two official guides comparing universities, but not courses. As a result, academic controversy has arisen over their adequacy, and because of concerns about comparability and accuracy of data. When comparing universities, one should be aware of what exactly is being measured, and whether the information is useful. Professor Brian Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, says, "There is as much variation within one university as between universities; no university has all the best activities, and no university is without its strengths".

It makes little sense for prospective students to choose to go to a university simply because it has an excellent reputation. It is wiser to look first at the overall characteristics and reputation of a university, and then at the faculty or discipline desired. To do this one must have access to quality data for each discipline.

Let us look at three ways we can now rank universities. A government-appointed Quality Review Committee made the first ranking of universities in 1993. It divided the 35 universities in Australia into six quality bands based mainly on research and teaching outcomes. In the top band, only two universities were represented: one from NSW (the University of NSW) and the other from the ACT (the Australian National University).

Sydney and Wollongong universities were both in the second ranking. Wollongong was the only newer university to make such a high grade. Macquarie and the University of Technology, Sydney, were in band four; Charles Sturt, Canberra, New England, and Newcastle were in band five. In band six were the Australian Catholic University and the University of Western Sydney.

This ranking has drawn much criticism, since it was based on what universities spent on research, and not on the quality of teaching. However, it should be stated that this was the first year of a continuing quality review. Next, the Quality Review Committee will assess the teaching record of universities.

The Department of Education Employment and Training (DEET) has published 50 indicators of diversity and performance of Australian universities. This lists comparative data on everything from academic staff ratio and percentage of staff with PhDs, to expenditure on library grants. The document says it does not rank universities, and is designed to assist students to make informed comparisons. But the universities can be ranked by each measure using a key indicator of success - positive graduate outcomes - which combines the percentage of recent graduates in full-time work and/or full-time study.

Here, the University of Technology, Sydney, emerges as the leader in NSW, with 83.2% of its graduates in work and/or study, just behind the ANU with 83.5%. Sydney has 79.8%, Charles Sturt 75.5%, Wollongong 74.1%, Macquarie 73.2%, UNSW 73.1%, Newcastle 72.5%, New England/Southern Cross 72%, and Western Sydney 69.7%.

Professor Gannicort, a Professor of Education at Wollongong University, has developed his own "performance table", ranking Australian universities using some of the DEET data - including the number of government research grants and grants from industry, as well as the number of recent graduates in full-time work or study. This time the University of Queensland tops the league. Sydney is third, UNSW fifth, ANU sixth, Macquarie 10th, Newcastle 15th, and all the other NSW universities well down in the rankings. He says this shows that the key factors which determine better university performance are what has always been supposed: that is, high quality students, numerous well-qualified staff, and nonproliferation of courses.

Interestingly, Ms. Barbara Bell, the National Recruitment Manager for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, claims employers are not so much interested in the university as in the skills and all-round quality of graduates. Those graduates who lack communication skills, for example, are at a big disadvantage. Ms. Bell quotes a recent survey that found a quarter of employers of graduates chose not to rank universities "because they said there was no correlation between the university and performance".

Dr. Michael Dack, Public Affairs Director of the Institution of Engineers, has commented that the prestige of a university does not count. The smaller universities are tailoring courses and products to the marketplace better than the large universities. They are trying harder to produce graduates who are acceptable to industry and employers. Traditional universities are often more academic and less industry-linked. He argues strongly the case for more broadly educated graduates. For example, the trend in engineering was to produce graduates with a broader education, communication and financial skills, and knowledge of the environmental and political context. Engineers with other skills were able to weather times of economic recession much better.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-21

Refer to the Reading Passage "Tertiary Comparison Guide", and look at the statements below.
Write your answers in boxes 14-21 on your Answer Sheet.

Write

A - if the statement is Accurate
I - if the statement is Inaccurate
N - if the information is Not Given in the text

Prospective students should consider the reputation of the university before choosing the faculty.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.....because it has an excellent reputation. It is wiser to look first at the overall characteristics and reputation of a university, and then at the faculty or discipline desired. To do this one must have access to quality data for
each discipline..........”
Keywords: overall, access
Keyword Location: para 3, line 3
Explanation: The passage mentions that it is wiser for prospective students to consider the overall characteristics and reputation of a university before choosing a faculty. This means that the reputation of the university should be taken into consideration before selecting a specific faculty.

The university ranking system by the Quality Review Committee was well-received by students.

Answer: I
Supporting statement:“....... But the universities can be ranked by each measure using a key indicator of success - positive graduate outcomes - which combines the percentage of recent graduates in full-time work and/or full-time study........”
Keywords: indicator, percentage
Keyword Location: para 6, line 6
Explanation: There is no mention in the passage that the university ranking system by the Quality Review Committee was well-received by students. The passage discusses criticisms and controversies surrounding the ranking system

The Quality Review Committee's basis for determining the ranking was the quality of tuition.

Answer: I
Supporting statement:“.......This ranking has drawn much criticism, since it was based on what universities spent on research, and not on the quality of teaching. However, it should be stated that this was the first year of a continuing quality review.......”
Keywords: stated, year
Keyword Location: para 5, line 1
Explanation: The passage mentions that the ranking by the Quality Review Committee was based mainly on research spending, not on the quality of tuition. Therefore, the basis for determining the ranking was not the quality of tuition.

The Committee will next review the amount universities spend on research.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.......research, and not on the quality of teaching. However, it should be stated that this was the first year of a continuing quality review. Next, the Quality Review Committee will assess the teaching record of universities........”
Keywords: review, teaching
Keyword Location: para 5, line 1
Explanation: The Quality Review Committee will assess the teaching record of universities after reviewing research spending. This means that the next review will focus on the amount universities spend on research.

The DEET study was conducted to assist students to compare information about universities.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.......his own "performance table", ranking Australian universities using some of the DEET data - including the number of government research grants and grants from industry, as well as the number of recent graduates in full-time work or study. .......”
Keywords: research, study
Keyword Location: para 8, line 3
Explanation:The passage mentions that the DEET study was conducted to provide comparative data on universities and assist students in making informed comparisons. This means that the study was designed to help students compare information about universities.

More than a third of the universities in the DEET study have 75% or more of their recent graduates in work and/or study.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.......Professor Gannicort, a Professor of Education at Wollongong University, has developed his own "performance table", ranking Australian universities using some of the DEET data - including the number of government research grants and grants from industry, as .......”
Keywords: university, grants
Keyword Location: para 8, line 2
Explanation: The passage provides data indicating that more than a third of the universities in the DEET study have 75% or more of their recent graduates in work and/or study, supporting the statement.

According to employers, the ranking of universities does not assist in the determination of performance.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“.......He says this shows that the key factors which determine better university performance are what has always been supposed: that is, high quality students, numerous well-qualified staff, and nonproliferation of
courses........”
Keywords: well, staff
Keyword Location: para 8, line 7
Explanation: The passage mentions that according to employers, the ranking of universities does not necessarily assist in determining the performance of graduates. This aligns with the statement that the ranking of universities does not assist in determining performance.

In order to compare disciplines or faculties, students need access to quality data.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“......It is wiser to look first at the overall characteristics and reputation of a university, and then at the faculty or discipline desired. To do this one must have access to quality data for each discipline.........”
Keywords: access, quality
Keyword Location: para 3, line 4
Explanation: The passage suggests that in order to compare disciplines or faculties, students need access to quality data for each discipline, supporting the statement.

Questions 22-26

Complete the sentences below with words or phrases from Reading Passage "Tertiary Comparison Guide". Note that each answer requires a MAXIMUM OF THREE WORDS.

University courses were not compared, which was one reason why the two official comparison guides caused _______

Answer: ACADEMIC CONTROVERSY
Supporting statement:“.......There are now two official guides comparing universities, but not courses. As a result, academic controversy has arisen over their adequacy,.......”
Keywords: courses, arisen
Keyword Location: para 2, line 1
Explanation:The passage mentions that one reason for academic controversy was the lack of comparison of university courses in the two official comparison guides.

The government-appointed Quality Review Committee ranked Australia's universities within ________

Answer: SIX QUALITY BANDS
Supporting statement:“......Quality Review Committee made the first ranking of universities in 1993. It divided the 35 universities in Australia into six quality bands based mainly on research and teaching ........”
Keywords: based, research
Keyword Location: para 4, line 2
Explanation:The Quality Review Committee ranked Australia's universities into six quality bands based on research and teaching outcomes, as given in the passage.

In order to rank universities, some of the DEET data was used by Professor Gannicort to produce a .______

Answer: PERFORMANCE TABLE
Supporting statement:“......The Department of Education Employment and Training (DEET) has published 50 indicators of diversity and performance of Australian universities. This lists comparative data on everything from academic staff ratio and percentage........”
Keywords: university, percentage
Keyword Location: para 6, line 2
Explanation:Professor Gannicort used some of the DEET data to produce his own "performance table" for ranking Australian universities, as mentioned in the passage.

The ANU scored highest when positive _____ were used as the key indicators of success

Answer: GRADUATE OUTCOMES
Supporting statement:“....... But the universities can be ranked by each measure using a key indicator of success - positive graduate outcomes - which combines the percentage of recent graduates in full-time work and/or full-time study........”
Keywords: percentage, graduates
Keyword Location: para 6, line 5
Explanation:The key indicators of success used by Professor Gannicort included positive graduate outcomes, with the ANU scoring highest in this regard, as stated in the passage.

Employers are unlikely to employ graduates who ________

Answer: LACK COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Supporting statement:“.....as in the skills and all-round quality of graduates. Those graduates who lack communication skills, for example, are at a big disadvantage. Ms. Bell quotes a recent survey that found a quarter of employers of graduates chose not to rank universities .........”
Keywords: skills, universities
Keyword Location: para 10, line 3
Explanation: According to Ms. Barbara Bell, employers are unlikely to employ graduates who lack communication skills, as given in the passage.