Nearly 11,800 final-year students of University Grants Committee-funded undergraduate degree programmes have registered for the International English Language Testing System, up 5% on last year.

The test is under the seventh round of the Common English Proficiency Assessment Scheme (CEPAS). More than 98% of students have chosen to register online.

The committee said today given CEPAS' voluntary nature, the encouraging participation rate shows students attach great importance to their English proficiency, and it is gaining popularity.

The number of CEPAS participants has risen steadily in the last few rounds, from about 7,300 final-year students during its 2002-03 launch to more than 11,000 in the 2007-08 round.

Forty-one testing sessions will be organised in 2008-09, including 15 summer testing sessions in which about 4,000 students have registered to take part.