Recent Reform in College English Testing in China

In the context of the recent reform in college English teaching in China, the College English Test (CET), one of the biggest EFL tests in the world, is undergoing major changes. The paper will begin with a brief introduction to the CET designers understanding of the social responsibilities of this large-scale high-stakes test and the continuous reform of the test over the past 18 years. The dilemma facing the CET in recent years is that the test s stakeholders have high expectations for the test reform, hoping that it will have a more positive impact on teaching and learning, but as the stakes of the test become higher, it is increasingly difficult or risky to make changes to the test in order to achieve the intended washback. The perplexing situation echoes the growing awareness in the field of language testing that washback does exist but it is a hugely complex matter. Simply changing the test content and format may not necessarily bring about the intended changes in teaching and learning. In the second part, the author will present language testers understanding and definition of washback, which is viewed as an integral part of test validity. In this part, recent innovations and reforms made by some influential large-scale standardized English tests like TOEFL and IELTS will also be reviewed. The paper will then provide an analysis of the reasoning behind the recent reform of the CET and the package of measures that were taken recently, which aimed at addressing the negative washback of the test. The third part of the paper will report the rationale, the research questions and the methodology of the on-going research of the CET washback, which is necessitated by the desire to monitor the process of the reform and look into the effects brought about by the recent reform on college English teaching and learning.