Testing a Nation

Many countries have national policies in relation to English language teaching that are monitored through standardized tests, and students’ performance in these tests may have a significant impact on their career prospects. When such high stakes become attached to a language test, it begins to play a far greater role than originally intended. A preeminent example is the College English Test (CET), taken biannually by upwards of ten million students in China, which makes it the world’s largest na