At 11am yesterday, 25 writers for the medium and medium-high level Hakka proficiency test walked into the exam-writing center in Taipei. Soon, a metal door was closed and locked behind them — and they will not be allowed to walk out until next Sunday.
This is the first time the medium and medium-high level proficiency tests will be given. In the three years that the test has been offered, only beginner level exams have been scheduled.
“Test takers who receive more than 150 points out of 300 will be awarded a Hakka proficiency certificate at the medium level and those who score over 215 will have the medium-high level certificate,” Council for Hakka Affairs vice-chairwoman Chuang Chin-hua (莊錦華) said yesterday at the entrance of the exam-writing center, adding that the council has no plan to offer an advanced level test at the moment.
“Those who get a medium-high level certificate will qualify to teach the Hakka language afterattending a training course by the Ministry of Education,” she said.
To ensure test takers’ rights are well-protected, the exam-writing, the test itself and the evaluation afterwards follow a set of strict procedures.
Locking in the exam writers during the nine-day exam-writing process is the first step.
The exam writers walked into the restricted area of the exam-writing center one by one, as each of their names were called. They were greeted by council Chairman Lee Yung-teh (李永得) who stood by the door. They were all asked to put their cellphones in sealed bags and left them at the security desk at the entrance of the building.
In the restricted area, there are windows, but they are made of stained glass to prevent anyone from seeing through them — and all the windows are sealed.
The exam writers will sleep in the sleeping quarters within the restricted area. Two to four of them will stay in one room.
There is a meeting room where they can hold discussions, a computer lab — but without Internet access — where they can type the questions and there is even a fitness room where they can work out.
Aside from the 25 exam writers, another 30 people who will work on the printing process will enter the exam-writing center tomorrow and stay there until Sunday, Chuang said.
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