Public English Test System
The Public English Test System (PETS; simplified Chinese: 全国公共英语等级考试; traditional Chinese: 全國公共英語等級考試; pinyin: Quánguó Gōnggòng Yīngyǔ Děngjí Kǎoshì) is a test developed by the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) of Mainland China. The PETS is the edition of the Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi (WSK) for the English language.[1] It is available in five levels: PETS-1 through PETS-5.[2] PETS testing is open to persons of all professions, ages, and academic backgrounds.[3]
The tests were designed in 1996 as a way to test persons outside of the college and university system; the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) gave professional and technical support to the development.[4] In 1999 pilot tests of the PETS occurred in several cities. The first mass-offering of the PETS was in 2003.[3]
The testing levels are:
- PETS-5: Advanced level,[5] sufficient for studying and/or working outside of China,[6] sufficient for equivalent to an English major at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.[5]
- PETS-4: Upper intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after three years of studying English.[5]
- PETS-3: Intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.[5]
- PETS-2: Lower intermediate level, equivalent to that of a student entering university in China.[5]
- PETS-1: Elementary level,[5] equivalent to completion of three years of English instruction, or what someone would have at the junior high school level.[7]
There is also a PETS-1B, which is below PETS-1.[3]
See also
- College English Test (CET)
- English education in China
- General English Proficiency Test (the test in Taiwan)
References
- Liu, Jianda (刘建达;[8] Guangdong University of Foreign Studies). "The Public English Test System" (Chapter 10). In: Cheng, Liying and Andy Curtis. English Language Assessment and the Chinese Learner. Routledge, March 17, 2010. ISBN 1135213879, 9781135213879. Start: p. 132.
Notes
- ^ "首页 Archived 2015-03-12 at the Wayback Machine." Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi. Retrieved on March 13, 2015. "全国外语水平考试（ＷＳＫ）是为了鉴定非外语专业人员的外语水平而设置的考试，其成绩主要用于选拔国家公派出国留学人员。全国外语水平考试设英语（PETS-5）、法语(TNF)、德语(NTD)、日语(NNS)和俄语(ТПРЯ)五个语种。"
- ^ "English." Public English Test System. Retrieved on March 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c Wu, Mei, p. 48.
- ^ Liu, Jianda, p. 133.
- ^ a b c d e f Liu, Jianda, p. 135.
- ^ Liu, Jianda, p. 134-135.
- ^ Liu, Jianda, p. 134.
- ^ "刘建达."[dead link] (Archive) National Key Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (外国语言学及应用语言学研究中心), Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. Retrieved on March 15, 2015.
External links
- Public English Test System (in Chinese)
- China Public English Test System (PETS), Levels 1-5: Level Criteria, Test Specifications and Sample Materials. National Education Examinations Authority, 1999. See profile at Google Books.
- "各類語言檢定證照等級對照表" - National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology Center for Language Education (語言教學中心) - Comparison chart between different English and other foreign language tests.