A language test for non-native speakers of Chinese will begin
next month to assess their proficiency at the workplace.
The "C.Test", short for Chinese Test, is designed by Beijing
Language and Culture University (BLCU), a school that also created
the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) or the Chinese Proficiency
Test.
Sun Dejin, director of the university's HSK centre, said the HSK
is similar to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),
while the C.Test is more like the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC), which focuses more on the ability of using
Chinese in everyday business activities.
"It could be used as a standard for workplace Chinese language
proficiency by institutions, companies and government agencies
worldwide," he said.
There will be two test levels C.Test Basic and C.Test
Intermediate-Advanced, based on the degree of difficulty.
The basic-level test lasts 115 minutes with 140 questions in
listening comprehension and reading; and the higher-level test
takes 140 minutes with 160 questions in listening and a practical
application section. Questions will be made public after the
exam.
The participant will receive a certificate with the score and a
report with a detailed analysis of the examinee's language
skills.
Trial runs of the C.Test were conducted in China and Japan in
July, August and this month with 1,150 participants from 17
countries and regions. "Our surveys showed that the majority of
examinees responded favorably to the new test, saying the results
reflected their real language skills," Sun said.
The first official C.Test will be held on November 19 in Japan
and 10 Chinese cities Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao,
Harbin, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xi'an.
Applicants can sign up for the test at exam sites in any of the
cities from today till next Tuesday. Exam fees are 200 yuan (US$25)
for the basic level and 260 yuan (US$32) for the higher level.
According to the centre, it will be the only test this year but
there will be four next year whose dates have not been decided.
Meanwhile, a new HSK test, the HSK Threshold, has been developed
as a supplementary to the existing HSK tests. It targets beginners
who have learnt Chinese for less than 300 hours.
Currently, the HSK is divided into three types: beginning level,
elementary to intermediate level and advanced level.
Sun said the HSK Threshold is for Chinese beginners who
recognize less than 1,000 Chinese characters and know only basic
grammar rules.
The first official HSK Threshold will be held on November 26 in
the same 10 cities where the C.Test will be held, and the fee is
200 yuan.
More than 200,000 people took the HSK tests last year, and about
30 million people worldwide are learning Chinese as a foreign
language.
(China Daily October 24, 2006)