This year’s General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT) for English was easier than last year’s exam, featuring questions incorporating current events, the National Senior High School Teachers’ Union (NSHST) said on Sunday.
The GSAT, which assesses Taiwanese high-school students seeking to enroll in university, tested teens in different subjects from Saturday to yesterday.
English was the first subject tested on Sunday. It comprised multiple-choice questions, reading comprehension and writing.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
High-school teachers played a major role in formulating this year’s English test, as they were employed by the College Entrance Examination Center to review the English questions.
Teachers who assisted in evaluating the questions said this year’s test partly focused on current affairs.
Questions also covered day-to-day situations, including how to fix a leaky faucet and what is available to buy at a farmers’ market.
Teachers also said the comprehension section aligned well with the nation’s updated “108 curriculum.”
Other high-school teachers were also invited by the NSHST to analyze the tests.
The teachers said the current affairs references made the test easier than last year, as the content was more relatable.
The test also lacked the difficult vocabulary used in previous versions of the exam, with only the term “driving forces” in reference to Taiwan’s advancement in the technology industry being used in a part of the Chinese-to-English translation section posing a challenge, they said.
This year’s writing test asked students to describe two pictures related to typhoons that highlight the contrasting situations people might experience during the weather phenomenon.
They were then required to share their thoughts on why many people in Taiwan engage in recreational activities when school and work are canceled due to typhoons.
Teachers who analyzed the test said that because different parts of Taiwan have different policies on school and work cancelations during typhoons, students would likely have different perspectives on the topic depending on where they live.
Teachers said that while the topic was relatable, they would like to know if students could write about the topic while keeping a reader entertained.
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