Japanese Language Proficiency Test (NNS) Examination Syllabus Third Edition National Foreign Language Test (WSK)

Author: Ministry of Education Testing Center
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: The National Foreign Language Proficiency Test (WSK) is a foreign language proficiency test organized by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Initially, there was only an English proficiency test, used to assess the English proficiency of students studying abroad in English-speaking countries. With the intensification of China's reform efforts and the development of foreign exchanges, the test has gradually expanded to include five languages: English, Japanese, Russian, German, and French. This test is organized and implemented by the Ministry of Education Testing Center. WSK is a foreign language proficiency test designed for non-foreign language professionals, and therefore it has some characteristics different from professional foreign language exams. First, it does not specify textbooks or base its questions on a designated teaching curriculum. Any materials and courses that meet the test requirements can be used for candidates' training and preparation. Second, as a foreign language test for non-foreign language professionals, the focus is not on the accuracy of the candidates' foreign language skills but on their ability to use foreign languages for communication and interaction. WSK is a criterion-referenced test. It ensures the consistency of test difficulty year after year and the equating of candidate scores through strict question development procedures, expert qualitative analysis, computer-based grading, and other standardized technical means.