College English Test
Encyclopedia
The College English Test, better known as CET, is a national English as a Foreign Language test in the People's Republic of China
.
The CET is mandatory for university students in China who are not English majors. It is also a prerequisite for a bachelor's degree
. Many employers in China
prefer applicants with CET certification.
Passing the CET is important for Chinese college students. Graduates may only be able to get a degree or a good job if they can pass the CET with a high score.
College students in China now spend quite a large amount of their study time devoted to learning English. On nearly every campus, one can see students reciting text or vocabulary in the mornings, and generally practicing hard for English exams. Furthermore, a great number of students take extra language training classes on evenings and weekends to improve their skills, or pay for private native-speaking tutors.
While the CET tests reading, writing and listening, it does have a separate test for speaking. The speaking test is held twice a year and only students with a CET Band-4 score higher than 550 or a CET Band-6 higher than 520 are eligible for the test. Most Chinese graduates do well on written tests, but have poor English speaking skills.
If an English-major student fails to pass the TEM-4 during his or her sophomore year, they may attempt to pass the TEM-8 during their senior year. Those failing the TEM-8 are only allowed one re-test (during the following year after they have graduated from college). A second failure results in disqualification.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Before 2005 reform
Before the 2005 reform, the maximum score was 100 points. This test was held nationally twice a year in June and December. The CET consisted of the non-English-specialized "Band 4" (CET4), in which certificate-holders have reached the English level of non-English major undergraduate students, and "Band 6" (CET6), in which the certificate-holders have reached the English level of non-English major postgraduates. The test included listening, reading and writing sections. The spoken test was optional and required certain points from the written test.2005 reform
The CET was reformed in 2005. Several changes were made, including:- Re-ordered and re-organized sections; more listening and spoken sections; new "Skimming & Scanning" and "Translation" sections;
- New grading system: scores are graded on a curved scale, so that the highest score possible is 710, while the lowest mark is a score of 290（finish all questions but all wrong);
- Passing grades and qualification certificate elimination;
- A more detailed score report on each section;
- Public service elimination: only university students need to take the test.
The CET is mandatory for university students in China who are not English majors. It is also a prerequisite for a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. Many employers in China
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
prefer applicants with CET certification.
Passing the CET is important for Chinese college students. Graduates may only be able to get a degree or a good job if they can pass the CET with a high score.
College students in China now spend quite a large amount of their study time devoted to learning English. On nearly every campus, one can see students reciting text or vocabulary in the mornings, and generally practicing hard for English exams. Furthermore, a great number of students take extra language training classes on evenings and weekends to improve their skills, or pay for private native-speaking tutors.
While the CET tests reading, writing and listening, it does have a separate test for speaking. The speaking test is held twice a year and only students with a CET Band-4 score higher than 550 or a CET Band-6 higher than 520 are eligible for the test. Most Chinese graduates do well on written tests, but have poor English speaking skills.
Test for English Majors
A similar test, the Test for English Majors (TEM), is mandatory for English majors. For these students, passing the TEM-4 is a graduation requirement. The test should be taken by the end of the second academic or sophomore year. TEM-8 ("Band 8") is the highest level for English major students; it should be taken during the end of the last academic or senior year.If an English-major student fails to pass the TEM-4 during his or her sophomore year, they may attempt to pass the TEM-8 during their senior year. Those failing the TEM-8 are only allowed one re-test (during the following year after they have graduated from college). A second failure results in disqualification.
Vocabulary Requirements
- CET-4: 4000 words
- CET-6: 6000 words
- TEM-4: 6000 words
- TEM-8: 13000 words
See also
- National College Entrance ExaminationNational College Entrance ExaminationThe National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or commonly known as Gao Kao, is an academic examination held annually in the mainland of the People's Republic of China. This examination is a prerequisite for entrance into almost all higher education institutions at the undergraduate level...
- Education in the People's Republic of ChinaEducation in the People's Republic of ChinaEducation in the People's Republic of China is a state-run system of public education run by the Ministry of Education. All citizens must attend school for at least nine years. The government provides primary education for six years, starting at age six or seven, followed by six years of secondary...
- English language learning and teachingEnglish language learning and teachingEnglish as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...