To meet surging demand for the IELTS, organizers have said they will increase its frequency and capacity in the country this year.
Three more test centers will open in East and North China later this year to see the number of IELTS test centers hitting 33, James Shipton, director of exam services at the British Council in China, told China Daily in a recent interview.
A temporary center has also been planned for Hangzhou of Zhejiang province, from next month to September, to meet greater demand over the summer vacation.
"IELTS has seen rapid development in China and kept an average annual increase rate of about 50 percent in recent years," Shipton said.
Last year, 210,000 Chinese reportedly took the IELTS, an increase of 50 percent from the number the previous year.
China has also boasted the world's largest number of IELTS candidates for the past two consecutive years, organizers said.
"Although the number of IELTS candidates are on the rise, the waiting time to take the exam has been cut in half due to increased test frequency and capacity for Chinese students," Shipton said.
More than 1 million people took the IELTS last year, making it the world's most popular English language test.
The test is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP Education Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
The IELTS itself has two modules: academic and general tests. The academic test is for higher education and the general one for overseas employment or immigration.
Candidates from Germany topped the IELTS list with an average score of 7.16 last year.
Chinese candidates' average score was 5.45 last year - 5.5 is seen as the score sufficient for immigration and entry to many universities.
Asked about Chinese candidates' performance in the test, Shipton said that their test scores must be viewed in the context they were taken.
It is normal for candidates from countries with historical links to the United Kingdom, such as India, to get higher scores than Chinese candidates, as English-learning became in vogue in China only three decades ago when the country initiated its opening-up policy, he said.
Chinese candidates also do not have advantages that those from Latin-linked countries such as Germany and France have.
However, compared with examinees from countries such as Japan and the Middle East, Chinese candidates perform much better, Shipton said. Chinese students tend to perform well in reading and listening. They also perform better in oral tests than in written ones.
Computer-based testing will be introduced in the near future for an increasing number of candidates who might prefer the medium, organizers said.
The changes come even as the number of Chinese students who go abroad to study is expected to hit a record high of 200,000 this year.
The grim domestic employment situation and a favorable visa and scholarship environment have also helped boost the study abroad trend, said Li Guanjun, general manager of the China Education International Cooperation Group.
Questions:
1. Later this year how many IELTS test centers will be found in China?
2. What is the average annual increase rate of test takers in recent years?
3. Which nation topped the list whose candidates averaged a score of 7.16 last year?
4. How many Chinese students are expected to go abroad to study this year?
Answers:
1. 33.
2. About 50 percent.
3. Germany.
4. A record high of 200,000.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
