Comparing PETS and GEPT in China and Taiwan

Mei Wu

doi:10.5539/elt.v5n6p48

Abstract

This paper compares the Public English Test System (PETS) administered in mainland, China and the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) administered in Taiwan, from the aspects of test levels, test contents and scoring weight. Compared with the PETS, the GEPT is found to value the English productive skills more, and have a greater ability to discriminate the beginner or intermediate learners from the advanced learners.

Highlights

This paper compares the Public English Test System (PETS) administered in mainland, China and the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) administered in Taiwan, from the aspects of test levels, test contents and scoring weight
By comparing the test levels of the GEPT and the PETS, we knew that these two tests are highly comparable
The GEPT administered in Taiwan and the PETS administered in mainland, China are highly comparable

Summary

Research Background

The Public English Test System (PETS) is a 5-level framework of proficiency English examination in mainland, China. The first three levels administer tests for two times every year, the Advanced level administers tests once every year, and the Superior level is only accessible to a test-taker sponsored by an institution (Roever & Pan, 2008: 403) Both tests were created at similar points of time: the PETS started its preparation of documentation in 1998 and delivered its first pilot test in 1999; the GEPT started its preparation of documentation in 1999, delivered the first pilot tests for the first three levels in 2000, and the first pilot tests for the fourth level in 2002 (Gong, 2002: 320). This study uses the content analysis to compare the GEPT and the PETS from the aspects of test levels, test contents and scoring weight, so as to discover the similarities and dissimilarities of the tests, and their underlying theory of design

Comparing the Test Levels of the GEPT and the PETS

Comparing the Test Contents of the GEPT and the PETS

Comparing the Scoring Weight for Test Sections in the GEPT and the PETS

Conclusion