Test for English MajorsBand 4 TEM 4 in

Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM 4) in China: A Historical Overview The 4 th Untested Ideas (UI) International Research Conference Qing Wei MA Student in Language Testing Hunan University, China

Outline • Background Information • Changes of Item Types on TEM 4 • Causes of Changes

Background Information • TEM 4(Test for English Majors) has been carried out in Chinese Mainland since 1991. It assesses students' English ability by means of written and oral examinations. Nowadays, the total score is 100 poins and students are qualified(6069 points), good(70 -79) and excellent(above 80). Item types of TEM 4 go through four dominant changes due to the variable and higher requirements for English majors.

The changes of item types on TEM 4 • The first stage: 1991 -1998 • The second stage: 1999 -2004 • The third stage: 2005 -2015 • The fourth stage: 2016

Test for English Majors in 1991

Structure Item Parts Number Item Types Points Proportion Time Duration multiple-choice questions 30 p 15% 25 m 10% 5 m 15 m Listening 1 --10 comprehension 11 -20 21 -30 Section A statemets Section B conversations Section C news broadcast (10 s for each item) Dictation completing the blanks dictation 5 p 15 p Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(60 -80 ws) 20 p 15% 35 m 10 m 1 -2 Writing Derivation 1 -10 filling in the blanks 10 p 5% 5 m Correction 1 -20 correction 20 p 10% 15 m Cloze 1 -20 20 p 10% 20 m Grammar and vocabulary 1 -20 multiple-choice questions 20 p 10% 20 m multiple-choice questions 50 p 25% 30 m 200 p 100% 180 m Reading 1 -25 comprehansion Total multiple-choice questions Section A Section B

Test for English Majors in 1992

Structure Item Number Writing Correction Parts Item Types Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(60 -80 ws) 1 -15 Dictation dictation Listening 1 --10 comprehension 11 -20 21 -30 Section A statemets Section B conversations multiple-choice Section C news questions broadcast Cloze 31 -45 multiple-choice questions Grammar and vocabulary 46 -75 multiple-choice questions Reading 76 -105 comprehansion 106 -111 Total Section A multiple-choice Section B Skimming and questions scanning Points Proportion Time Duration 20 p 10 p 20% 35 m 10 m 15 p 10% 15 m 30 p 20% 25 m 15 p 10% 20 m 30 p 20% 25 m 5 m 150 p 100% 170 m

Test for English Majors in 1993

Structure Item Number Writing Parts Item Types Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(60 -80 ws) 20 p 10 p Correction(无） 1 -15 dictation Listening 1 --10 comprehension 11 -20 21 -30 Section A statemets Section B conversations Section C news broadcast multiple-choice questions Cloze 31 -45 multiple-choice questions Grammar and vocabulary 46 -75 multiple-choice questions Total Proportion 22% 15 p Dictation Reading 76 -105 comprehansion 106 -111 Points Section A Section B Skimming and scanning multiple-choice questions Time Duration 35 m 10 m 15 p 11% 15 m 30 p 22% 20 m 15 p 11% 15 m 15 p 11% 20 m 30 p 22% 25 m 5 m 135 p 99% 145 m

Test for English Majors in 1994

Structure Item Parts Number Item Types Points Proportion Time Duration Writing Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(60 ws) 20 p 10 p 22% 35 m 10 m Dictation dictation 15 p 11% 15 m 30 p 22% 20 m 15 p 11% 15 m 15 p 11% 20 m 30 p 22% 25 m 5 m 135 p 99% 145 m Listening comprehension 1 --10 11 -20 21 -30 Cloze 31 -50 multiple-choice questions Grammar and vocabulary 51 -80 multiple-choice questions Reading comprehansion 81 -100 101 -111 Total Section A statemets Section B conversations Section C news broadcast Section A Section B Skimming and scanning multiple-choice questions

Test for English Majors in 1994

Structure Item Number Parts Listening comprehension 1 --7 8 -15 16 -25 Section A statemets Section B conversations multiple-choice Section C news broadcast questions Cloze 21 -40 multiple-choice questions Grammar and vocabulary 41 -65 multiple-choice questions Reading comprehansion 66 -80 81 -90 Section A Section B Skimming and scanning Item Types multiple-choice questions Points Proportion Time Duration 30 p 22% 20 m 15 p 11% 15 m 15 p 11% 20 m 30 p 22% 25 m 5 m 11% 15 m Dictation dictation 15 p Writing Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) 20 p 10 p 22% 35 m 10 m 135 p 99% 145 m Total

Test for English Majors in 1995

序号 题号 构成部分 Listening comprehension 1 --7 8 -15 16 -25 Section A statemets Section B conversations multiple-choice 30 p Section C news broadcast questions Cloze 26 -40 multiple-choice 15 p questions Grammar and vocabulary 41 -65 multiple-choice questions 15 p Reading comprehansion 66 -80 81 -90 Section A Section B Skimming and scanning 题型 分值 比重 时间 22% 25 m 11% 15 m 11% 20 m multiple-choice questions 30 p 22% 25 m 5 m 11% 15 m Dictation dictation 15 p Writing Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) 20 p 10 p 22% 35 m 10 m 135 p 99% 145 m Total

Test for English Majors in 1996

序号 题号 构成部分 Listening comprehension 1 --8 9 -17 18 -25 Section A statemets Section B conversations multiple-choice 30 p Section C news broadcast questions Cloze 26 -40 multiple-choice 15 p questions Grammar and vocabulary 41 -65 multiple-choice questions 15 p Reading comprehansion 66 -80 81 -90 Section A Section B Skimming and scanning 题型 分值 比重 时间 22% 20 m 11% 15 m 11% 20 m multiple-choice questions 30 p 22% 25 m 5 m 11% 15 m Dictation dictation 15 p Writing Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) 20 p 10 p 22% 35 m 10 m 135 p 99% 145 m Total

Test for English Majors in 1999

Structure Item Numb er Dictation Parts dictation Item Types Points 15 p Listening comprehension 1 --10 11 -20 21 -30 Section A conversations Section B passages multiple-choice 30 p Section C news broadcast questions （5 s for each item) Cloze 31 -45 multiple-choice 15 p questions Grammar and vocabulary 46 -70 multiple-choice questions 15 p Reading comprehansion 71 -85 Writing Total Section A Section B Skimming and scanning(无） Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) Proportion Time Duration 15 m 20 m 15 m multiple-choice questions 30 p 25 m 20 p 10 p 35 m 10 m 135 p 135 m

Test for English Majors in 2005

Structure Item Numb er Dictation Parts dictation Item Types Points Proportion Time Duration 15 p 15% 15 m 15% 20 m 10% 15 m 15% 15 m Listening comprehension 1 --10 11 -20 21 -30 Section A conversations Section B passages multiple-choice 15 p Section C news broadcast questions （5 s for each item) Cloze 31 -50 multiple-choice 10 p questions Grammar and vocabulary 51 -80 multiple-choice questions 15 p Reading comprehansion 81 -100 Section A multiple-choice questions 20 p Writing Total Composition(150 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) 20% 25 m 15 p 10 p 30% 35 m 100 p 100% 135 m

Test for English Majors in 2016

Structure Item Parts Number Item Types Points Proportion Time Duration Dictation dictation 10 p 10% 10 m Listening comprehension 1 -10 Section A talks fill in the blanks Section B conversations multiple-choice questions 20 p 20% 20 m Language knowledge 11 -30 multiple-choice questions 20 p 20% 10 m Cloze 31 -40 multiple-choice Section A questions 10 p 10% 10 m 20 p 20% 35 m 15 p 10 p 30% 35 m 100 p 100% 130 m Reading 41 -50 comprehansion 51 -55 Section A Writing Composition(200 ws) Note-taking(50 -60 ws) Total Section B multiple-choice questions Short answer questions

Causes of Changes • The requirements for economy development: the increasing need for English majors with higher practical skills, for instances, speaking, translating and listening. • The educational policies: In 1989, Syllabus for the Basic Level of English Majors in Institution of Higher Learning was put into effect and it classified the basic stage into 4 levels and made requirements of language and communicative ability, respectively. It aimed at the training of basic language ability and the cultivation of working independently. Therefore, it laid the foundation for higher learning.

Causes of Changes • In 2000, the development of economy brought about The Teaching Syllable for English Majors in Institution of Higher Learning. Its purpose is to foster interdisciplinary talents who work for education, translation, management and so on. There're three major courses, namely, courses of English language skill, professional English knowledge and related skill. Moreover, Speaking, Writing and Translating are gained attention.

The Contrast of TEM 4 Test Syllabus in 1997 and 2004 1997 Dictation 2004 No change Listening Comprehension 25 multiple-choice questions 20 minutes 10 seconds for each question Section A Statement(10 multiple-choice questions) Section B Conversations(7 -9) Section C News Broadcast 30 multiple-choice questions 15 minutes 5 seconds for each question Section A Passages (10 multiplechoice questions) Section B Conversations(10) Section C News Broadcast Cloze 15 multiple-choice questions 20 multiple-choice questions higher item difficulty Grammar and Vocabulary 25 multiple-choice questions 30 multiple-choice questions Reading Comprehension 25(15+10)mq total words 2400(1500+900)ws 20 mq total words 1800 ws Writing Section A Compostion 150 ws Section A Composition 200 ws