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TOCFL-Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language

The Test Of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL)is Taiwan's national standardized test designed and developed by the National Taiwan Normal University to evaluate and certify the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers, such as foreigners and overseas Chinese. TOCFL test is administrated by the Ministry of Education through the Steering Committee for the Test Of Proficiency-Huayu  (SC-TOP). Overseas, the SC-TOP co-proctors test administration with local Taiwan representative offices and/or educational institutions.

Three types of TOCFL tests have been developed, including TOCFL Listening & ReadingTOCFL Speaking, and TOCFL Writing. The SC-TOP launched the overseas TOCFL Listening & Reading test services in 2006 to meet the high demand of international Chinese learners. In 2018, the test services were widespread in 40 countries, including Taiwan. Since then, nearly 500,000 people have taken the test and among them, about 7,256 people are from Southern California. 

TOCFL Listening & Reading has a level name change from January 1, 2014, in order to correspond to levels used by CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, and Assessment ) and ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages). This can provide a basis for recognizing language qualifications across national boundaries. The new version consists of band A, B, and C, which corresponds to 6 levels and is available in both traditional and simplified character versions. TOCFL in Southern California has reading and listening tests. The total question number is 100 and the test time is 2 hours. Those who have learned 240-720 hours or know 500-1000 characters can register for band A, basic level.

In order to encourage more people to improve their Chinese proficiency, now the new level “TOCFL-Novice” has been created for those adult beginning learners who have learned Chinese for at least 60 hours overseas. Beginning learners can know their Chinese proficiency through the listening and reading tests at the Novice level and gain more confidence. The listening test and the reading test take 50 minutes (each part takes 25 minutes).

The successful examinee will receive a Chinese Proficiency Certificate as a credential for the following: Become eligible for the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship; Qualify for admission to the academic programs at colleges or universities in Taiwan; Serve as a job-required proof of Chinese language proficiency for individuals who wish to obtain Chinese-inclusive, bilingual employment globally; Provide an incentive to those who are interested in learning Chinese.

TOCFL Listening & Reading is a great way to challenge yourself as a learner of Chinese, also to assess your abilities in reading, listening, grammar, and vocabulary. In addition, it can be a powerful proof of language capability for individuals who wish to study, work, or do business in Chinese-speaking countries. Please join the thousands of Chinese learners in the world by signing up for TOCFL Listening & Reading and be an efficient and TOP-notch learner of Mandarin Chinese!

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