Public English Test System (PETS)

The Public English Test System (PETS for short) is the non-educational English certificates open to all people.It is designed to measure the participant’s ability to communication in English and run by the Beijing Testing Center,the Ministry of Education,is an organization in Beijing specially set for PETS for the nation-wide trainees. The test affairs will be carried out by the Testing Office of Beijing Educational Testing Institute （TOBETI）.

Test Grades

The test system can be dividend into six levels of difficulty,they are:grade 1B, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5.However,the test grade 5 is hold by the institutions appointed by Testing Center of Ministry of Education. The rest tests are carried out by the TOBETI.

The test grade 1 is a primary one and designed for testing English proficiency slightly higher then middle school graduates.( The test grade 1B is affiliated one to PETS ) .

The test grade 2 is the below intermediate level, equal to the English proficiency of the general high school graduates.(The test result can be recognized as a substitution of English test result for the diploma program of self-learning)

The test grade 3 is the intermediate.it is the level of the studnts who have learned the

public English for two years after graduated from high school (examees who have passed the exam can be considered to be exempted to take the English test in a Univeristy )

Test grade 4 is the upper level,graduates who have also finished 3-4 years’ study in universities on public English courses or equal level after they graduated from the high school are believed to pass the exam.

Test grade 5 is the highest and equals to the English proficiency gained by college students who have finished their second years study with English as their majors in universities.

The test at all grades is composed of not only the tests in written form but also in listening and oral in order to have better measurement on examees’ practical ability to communicate in real situation.

Criteria for Registration

Trainees could registed in spite of their ages, occupations and educational levels. They can register for any grade according to their own English proficiencies. No general middle schools and universities are allowed to organize students to register in case it will interrupt their normal routine. 

Time for Registration

Applicants for grade 1b, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 can register from wednesday to sunday in the second week of Junary every year.Applicants for grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 can register from wednesday to sunday in the second week of July each year.

The detailed information about the registration and test dates will be released to public separately (usually two months before the tests).

Way to Register

All the trainees shall go and register in the Registration Stations for PETS,set particully by Test Affairs Office under the authority of Beijing Educational Testing College.Those who have lost their ID shall show the testimonials of their ID numbers issued by the Public Security Bureau for their registration. Trainees under 18 could register against their Registered Permanent Residences; the military (armed policemen) trainees can register against their ID. All the trainees shall submit three pieces of 1 inch photos with no hats. No registration can be made available to those whose certificates or photos are not up to the requirements. The trainees shall pay for the registration fee set by the regulations concerned. The Registration Stations will deliver the Test Certificates to the trainees. The trainees will gain their Test Notifications against their Test Certificates at the stations where they made their registration during the period of time required.  

Time for Tests

The tests for grade 1b, 1, 2, 3, are scheduled on Sunday and Saturday of second week in March; The tests for grade 1, 2, 3, 4, are scheduled on Sunday and Saturday of second week in September. The written tests are to be done in the morning on Saturdays while the oral in the afternoon on Saturday and in the morning on Sundays. Please pay attention to the notices if there are any changes on the schedules. The testing durations for each grade refer to the Notice for Trainees.

Issue of Certificates

The Testing Center under Ministry of Education issued The Outlines for Testing and is in charge of making exam papers, and issuing the Certificates of PETS. The written form of test adapts the 100 marking system with its pass line of 60; the oral test adapts the 5 marking system, with its pass line of 3. The PETS Certificates could be only awarded to whose trainees who got passed both in their written and oral tests. The certificates are written in both English and Chinese languages and carry the holders’ ID numbers. Those who failed in either written test or oral test, or failed in both could only be awarded with their transcripts. The results would not be remained n the system for those who got only either written test or oral test.   

Getting Your Test Results

The trainees are required to sign up and get your ‘Exam Notification’ or ‘Certificates of National Examination on the Public English ’at the Registration Station before 19-20^th May 2000 by showing your Exam Certificates, ID. And they have to pay the fee for their certificates according the related regulations.

Exam Materials

The Test Center set by the Ministry of Education has authorized the Higher Learning Press to have published the Textbooks for First Class B and First Class, as well as the Test Outlines for all the classes. The trainees could buy the related Test Outlines and Textbooks at different bookstores in Beijing, your registration stations and The Collections of Vocabulary for PETS study.

 The Time distribution for answering your questions