General Foundation Programme

The students who enter General Foundation Programme (GFP) at GCET benefit from a wide range of teaching, learning, support, and activities. Each individual student has one Academic Personal Tutor who follows up on their progress and assists them when they need help.

There is a GFP Club at GCET and all GFP students are involved in extra-curricular activities throughout the academic year. The GFP Club holds competitions, exhibitions, events, Olympiads, workshops, and a lot more which help students develop themselves in other aspects besides studies.

The General Foundation Programme (GFP) aims to prepare students for their next level of higher education in an undergraduate programme. The approach practiced in GFP is collaborative and practical while the delivery methods being used include full-time classes for regular or flexible students. In particular, it aims to develop the following skills and knowledge for the students:

• General and academic skills in the English language;
• Basics of Mathematics related to the undergraduate programmes at GCET;
• Basic study skills to become independent learners;
• Fundamental and practical computer skills.

The minimum entry requirement for the General Foundation Programme (GFP) is a pass in the Omani General Education Diploma (or equivalent) with:

• A minimum overall average of 65%.
• A minimum of 60% in Mathematics (applied or pure).
• A minimum of 55% in the English Language.

• Exemption from the Placement Test for direct admission to UG Programmes:

The GFP Placement Test is exempted if a student:

• holds a Certificate of Completion of the General Foundation Programme from an Omani Higher Education Institution.
• has completed a programme that demonstrates attainment of the Learning Outcomes of one or more of the modules offered in GFP can be exempted from studying that module (Accreditation of Prior ‘Certificated’ Learning, AP(C)L, will be applied).
• holds any or all of these valid certificates:

1. English:

• TOEFL with a minimum score of 600
• IELTS with a minimum overall band of 6.0
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (B2 Level)

2. Mathematics:

• Omani approved Foundation Mathematics Module with a minimum of 50% marks
• Foreign qualifications such as A level or International Baccalaureate

3. ICT:

• ICDL certificate in English medium
• IC3 certificate in English medium
• Cambridge IT Test

NOTE: Programmes which are not accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) cannot be considered replacements for GFP.

Once the student has completed at least one semester in GFP, they can apply for a Fast Track. The Fast Track Test provides the student with the opportunity to move towards an upper level in GFP or progress to their UG programme.

• Conditions and Process:

Before registering for the Fast Track Test, the student should consult with their Academic Personal Tutor (APT) and/or relevant Module Leaders (Section 3 of the Fast Track Registration Form).

To be eligible for the Fast Track Test, students’ overall marks in the selected modules should not be below the pass/progression mark by more than 10%.

Final marks will be discussed and approved by the Department Committee.

If a student passes the Fast Track Test then their mark(s) will supersede all the marks they have scored before.

Further information regarding the Fast Track test is available from the department office and the Admissions & Registration office.

To enter the General Foundation Programme, the student needs to take a Placement Test. Based on the results of Placement Test, the student can take the related Modules.

• Test Structure:
• The student should take the English Test and based on the result they will be placed in A2 or B1 level in GFP or will be exempted from studying English Modules at GFP provided they get B2 or more.
• If the student gets B1 or B2 level in English language, they can also take the Math and ICT Tests.
• Based on the results, the student will take one or two semesters to complete GFP.

Upon passing all the tests, the student will be exempted from GFP and can join their UG programme. The normal entry to GFP is illustrated below:

• Placement Test Syllabus:

1. ENGLISH TEST

The English Test includes two sections for all English skills. For the first section, the student takes a computer-based test, conducted and proctored in college, and it is not available online. After the first section, the student will be examined on their English Speaking skills by our experienced examiners.

2. MATHEMATICS TEST

If the student gets a minimum of B1 level in the English Placement Test, they are eligible to take the MATHEMATICS TEST. The Math Test includes two sections. First, the student takes the Basic Math and if they get 50% or more, they can take the second test. Students who apply for an Engineering programme take the Pure Math test, and if they want to enter a Non-engineering programme they take Applied Math test.

The test is based on problem-solution and objective type questions. The syllabus of tests includes:

• Kinds of number and basic operations, Laws of Indices, Simplifying algebraic expressions
• Inequalities, Linear polynomial equations, Basic geometry of circles, triangles and straight lines
• Graphs, Trigonometry and identities, Functions, Basic Statistics
• Minimum or maximum values of a quadratic function
• Trigonometry for computations in arbitrary triangles
• Basic concepts of statistics and probability
• Tables, mean values, statistical diagrams, simple events, tree diagrams

3. COMPUTING TEST

If the student gets a minimum of B1 level in the English Placement Test, they are eligible to take the COMPUTING TEST. The Computing Test consists of in two sections: theory and practice. Three major areas are covered in this test which are fundamentals of computers, key Microsoft Office applications and concepts related to living online. The syllabus of the Test includes:

• Computer Hardware (Parts of computer)
• Computer Software (MS Word – MS Excel – MS PowerPoint)
• Operating Systems
• Mobile Applications
• Computer Security
• Internet

Structure:

First Semester:

Second Semester:

Summer Semester:

If the student fails in one or all of progression modules in the second semester, they can retake the failed modules in Summer Semester. The Modules are offered in an intensive time frame of four weeks and students can take the final exam afterwards.

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