Education | Mainland’s national English exams to be held in Macau

Starting this year, China’s national College English Test Band 4 (CET4) and Band 6 (CET6) will both be held in Macau, according to a statement released last week by the Tertiary Education Services Office (GAES).

Three local universities – the University of Macau (UM), Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST), and the City University of Macau (CityU) – signed an agreement with GAES and the test center of China’s Ministry of Education regarding preparations for both tests.

Students from these three universities, as well as the Macao Polytechnic Institute, Institute for Tourism Studies and the Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau, will all be able to take the exams in Macau.

CET4 and CET 6 are held every June and December. The same schedule will apply to Macau.

The exams will take place in UM, MUST, and CityU, with the application fee fixed at MOP280. The first exam to be organized in Macau will take place on June 16.

CET4 and CET6 are two national standardized English tests organized by the tertiary education division of China’s Ministry of Education.

The exams were first established in 1987. Since their inception, they have drawn criticism in the mainland for being part of China’s exam-oriented education system. In the past, a mainland university student would have to pass CET4 to obtain their degree.