Public English Test System

The Public English Test System (PETS; {{zh|first=s|s=全国公共英语等级考试|t=全國公共英語等級考試|p=Quánguó Gōnggòng Yīngyǔ Děngjí Kǎoshì}}) is a test developed by the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) of the People's Republic of China. The PETS is the edition of the Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi (WSK) for the English language."[http://sk.neea.edu.cn/wyspks/ 首页] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312214853/http://sk.neea.edu.cn/wyspks/ |date=2015-03-12 }}." Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi. Retrieved on March 13, 2015. "全国外语水平考试（WSK）是为了鉴定非外语专业人员的外语水平而设置的考试，其成绩主要用于选拔国家公派出国留学人员。全国外语水平考试设英语（PETS-5）、法语(TNF)、德语(NTD)、日语(NNS)和俄语(ТПРЯ)五个语种。" It is available in five levels: PETS-1 through PETS-5."[http://sk.neea.edu.cn/yydjks/show_sort_3.jsp?class_id=26_12_09 English]." Public English Test System. Retrieved on March 13, 2015. PETS testing is open to persons of all professions, ages, and academic backgrounds.Wu, Mei, p. 48.

The tests were designed in 1996 as a way to test persons outside of the college and university system; the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) gave professional and technical support to the development.Liu, Jianda, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PX6MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA133 133]. In 1999 pilot tests of the PETS occurred in several cities. The first mass-offering of the PETS was in 2003.

The testing levels are:

• PETS-5: Advanced level, sufficient for studying and/or working outside of China,Liu, Jianda, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PX6MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA134 134]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=PX6MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 135]. sufficient for equivalent to an English major at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.
• PETS-4: Upper intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after three years of studying English.
• PETS-3: Intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.
• PETS-2: Lower intermediate level, equivalent to that of a student entering university in China.
• PETS-1: Elementary level,Liu, Jianda, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PX6MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 135]. equivalent to completion of three years of English instruction, or what someone would have at the junior high school level.Liu, Jianda, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PX6MAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA134 134].

There is also a PETS-1B, which is below PETS-1.