The Ministry of Education was yesterday hammering out details of the Mandarin proficiency test for students from five overseas locations applying for Taiwanese government scholarships this year.
However, the test results will not be taken into account in evaluating applications for this year for four of the regions.
The exam, similar to the TOEFL test taken by non-native English speakers, will take place in five countries or cities this year -- Thailand, South Korea, Japan, the UK and Los Angeles in the US.
Applicants or recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship award from these five locations will need to take the Mandarin proficiency test starting this year.
The test's questions are being developed by the Mandarin Training Center at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU).
Test results will not be used towards evaluating applicants this year, except for Thailand, said Chen Bao-ling (陳寶鈴), the official in charge of the project from the ministry's Bureau of International Cultural and Educational Relations.
Thailand prepared for the test earlier than the other regions, she added.
The test would be listed under scholarship application requirements next year, she said.
Test centers will be established in overseas universities selected by the nation's overseas missions, she added.
So far, Thailand has decided to conduct tests on paper, while the tests for the other four regions will be computerized.
Chen said the content of the proficiency tests would be elementary-level Mandarin.
However, test questions would not be standardized across the five regions as long as they draw from the question pool provided by NTNU.
The exams in Thailand will be held in May, but in June for the other regions.
The ministry hoped that test centers abroad could start putting together sample question manuals soon to be distributed to applicants, Chen said.
As for students already in Taiwan learning Mandarin, the test may be made available later this year, although the details have not yet been worked out, she said.
Adjustments will be made to the regulations should overseas missions encounter problems with testing procedures or methods, Chen said.
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