More nuanced information is needed about the relative effects of different measures of English language proficiency, academic readiness and life experiences on the subsequent academic achievement of international English as an additional language (EAL) students undertaking postgraduate coursework in Anglophone contexts. This study involved the collection and analysis of data relating to all international EAL students who took postgraduate courses at a university in New Zealand between 2019 and 2025, a total of 743 students. Regression analyses found that language proficiency was the strongest predictor of academic achievement in this context, followed by the length of time between completion of a previous qualification and commencement of postgraduate coursework. Higher English language proficiency and a longer gap between qualifications were significant predictors of greater success at this level.
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Ruegg et al. (2026) studied this question.
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