This innovation proposes the MUET MindForge as an AI-driven tool designed to enhance Malaysian

University English Test (MUET) candidates' critical thinking skills for the MUET Writing Paper Task 2:

Extended Essay. Traditional essay writing support often focuses on grammar and structure, leaving students to

struggle with generating novel, high-quality ideas and logical arguments. This project leverages Google's

Gemini large language model not as a content generator, but as an intellectual sparring partner. The system

a minimum Band 4 in their overall score, academic success and lifelong learning. The implementation of this

platform promises to revolutionize how students approach the most challenging part of the MUET writing

paper, improving both their scores and their cognitive abilities.

The Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is a crucial prerequisite for tertiary education in Malaysia, and

articulate, structure, and support complex ideas, moving beyond basic comprehension and grammar. However,

many students face a common and fundamental challenge: a lack of critical thinking skills needed to generate

original and insightful ideas. They often rely on generic, formulaic responses or struggle to develop a logical

This project introduces MUET MindForge, an AI-powered platform designed to strengthen the critical thinking

and idea-generation skills of MUET candidates (Creely, 2024). Success in MUET writing requires more than

linguistic accuracy; it demands the ability to generate relevant ideas, evaluate perspectives, and organise

arguments effectively. MUET MindForge addresses this need by offering a user-friendly interface where

students can input essay questions and engage in guided brainstorming. Instead of producing ready-made

answers, the platform harnesses the Gemini model to present arguments, counterarguments, and examples as

scaffolds for students to build upon. This approach keeps learners actively engaged, pushing them to refine raw

ideas through targeted prompts that encourage deeper reasoning and sharper insights.

Beyond idea generation, the system supports students in transforming brainstormed content into structured

essay outlines, ensuring logical flow and persuasive impact. By combining AI innovation with pedagogy,

The process begins when a student inputs a MUET essay prompt into the system. The platform then activates a

sequence of modules that collectively support critical thinking and structured ideation.

provides a drag-and-drop interface for arranging refined ideas into a standard essay framework, ensuring

clarity and flow.

The methodology is iterative and student-centred, with the AI serving as a facilitator rather than a content

critical thinking skills. MUET MindForge utilises the platform’s core components which includes Topic

Analysis Module, Guided Brainstorming Engine, Argument Development Tool and finally Outline builder

suitable for students or registered MUET candidates.

Gemini Ai is used to dissect the essay question, identify key themes, potential subtopics and underlying current

issue which would be of help to comprehend the given title in depth. For a MUET Writing paper, one of the

main qualities in achieving a Band 4 starts with a good grasp on the title presented. Candidates often encounter

a common challenge when attempting to comprehend a title in greater depth. This is due to the fact that

candidates are at lost in a title which seems alien. This soon results in a domino effect of difficulty in moving

forward in generating ideas and attaining appropriate vocabularies (Parnabas et al., 2022). Hence, Topic

essay section. While Razali et al. (2023), states the solution to overcome this difficulty is for candidates for

develop a string of Wh-question in relation to the title and information gained through the first stage which is

Topic Analysis Module. By in cooperating Wh-questions on Gemini it prompts the system to generate a guided

brainstorming engine which serves as a tutor who leads candidates to develop and expand their thoughts in a

systematically. This done in a regular basis will also help shape a candidate’s thinking process suitable for

MUET Writing

Extended Essay.

Karnine et al. (2022) discovered that candidates often struggle with insufficient knowledge and insufficient

vocabularies which lead to the hurdle in expressing ideas coherently and cohesively. Candidates also struggled

with the words and structure of the extended essay. Argumentative structure the most common structure often

championed among educators when dealing with the MUET Writing Extended Essay question paper. In order

connections between the ideas given. With the help of Ai, students are placed on a specific path to look for

information. By doing so, candidates are able to identify the areas which requires improvements.

The final stage of the prompt is designed to help students arrange and refined ideas in a standard 5 paragraph

essay structure. This stage assists students in achieving clarity in idea delivery, accuracy in word choices and

effective use of transition signals. It is understood that most students who struggle with proficiency are unable

to formulate compound and complex structure effectively. In the struggle of doing so, at times it often

compromises the meaning. Hence, this prompt will allow students to work hand in hand with Ai as a guide, to

achieve a step-by-step practise in formulating compound or complex sentences with clarity and apt

vocabularies. With this done on a regular basis, students or registered MUET candidates are able to exercise

strong, given the high demand for effective MUET preparation tools and the growing interest in leveraging AI

for educational purposes.

The novelty of the MUET MindForge lies in its unique pedagogical approach. Unlike existing AI tools that are

often misused for content generation, this platform re-engineers the AI's function from a producer to a

facilitator. It shifts the focus from "what to write" to "how to think," fostering genuine intellectual growth. This

approach addresses the root cause of poor essay performance and aligns with the educational goal of

developing lifelong learners.

Further development could include a feature for peer review within the platform, allowing students to give and

receive feedback on their outlines. The tool could also be adapted for other forms of academic writing beyond

the MUET, such as university-level essays and research papers, expanding its market potential and educational

outputs, which restrict exposure to advanced vocabulary and complex language structures. Additionally,

lengthy and non-concise responses demand excessive cognitive effort, overwhelming learners’ attention and

frustration and disengagement. Repetitive information patterns also narrow learners’ perspectives, limiting

critical thinking and creativity. These challenges highlight that while AI can support learning, it cannot

independently provide the nuanced guidance, validation, and adaptability that human educators offer (Alnasib

& Alharbi, 2024). Therefore, AI tools should function as complementary aids within a guided learning

environment, ensuring students benefit from both technological efficiency and human insight to achieve a

more balanced and effective educational experience.

MUET MindForge marks a significant innovation in combining artificial intelligence with pedagogy to

enhance critical thinking and essay-writing preparation. Its design emphasizes guided inquiry and Socratic

questioning, encouraging students to actively construct arguments rather than passively consume ready-made

answers. This shift positions the platform not just as a study tool but also as a classroom teaching aid. Teachers

5. Ramamuthie, V., & Aziz, A. A. (2022). Systematic Review: The Effectiveness of Digital Tools to Improve

writing Skill of ESL Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social