Abstract:
Academic writing goes beyond being a mere skill; it functions as a means of engaging
intellectually and fostering critical thinking. As a result, having expertise in academic writing
is crucial for university students. This expertise not only facilitates the effective expression of
ideas but also cultivates the ability to write academically, synthesize, and evaluate
information. The main objective of this study is to reveal the academic writing proficiency
and its extent among university students, specifically third year license English learners. The
study adopted both the quantitative and qualitative research method. Quantitative explanation
focuses on numerical data and measurable variables, while a qualitative explanation
emphasizes descriptive, non-numerical insights and subjective analysis. Hence, a content
analysis has been conducted to answer the research questions which are: 1) Do third year
license English students possess the skills necessary to be proficient in their academic
writings? And 2) To what extent do third year English learners write academically in their
exam papers? The analysis of the students’ exam papers yielded several findings; first, a
mixed level of proficiency among university students in academic writing, with strengths
observed in areas such as objectivity, maintaining formal tone, and coherence, but
weaknesses noted in clarity of ideas, adherence to grammar rules, formal language
conventions, and spelling accuracy. Second, despite the mixed proficiency level, students'
exam essays demonstrate a degree of proficiency in academic writing, encompassing key
features such as objectivity, accuracy, coherence, and cohesion. Third, students exhibit
varying levels of proficiency across different aspects of academic writing, including
formality, accuracy, objectivity, coherence, and clarity, however, there are noticeable
gaps in adhering to formal language conventions, grammatical precision, and spelling
accuracy. Finally, these findings can be used as raw model for future research
