Job Discussion Forums

[Welcheronymus]

I am taking a new job in Jiangsu Province for the 2016-17 academic year. To get the Foreign Expert Certificate, I have to take some tests online at the SAFEA website (http://evaluation.safea.gov.cn/login.php). This is the 3rd time I've had to get a FEC but it's the first time I've had to take such tests (behavior style tests, basic knowledge, and writing). Has anyone had to do this? Are these legit?

[The bear]

Wow, blast from the past.

I did that test in my second year in China, so..2012? Can't remember exactly when.

The test, from my experience, meant nothing. I put in a fake passport number - I think it was 000000001 or something like that. Told my employer I had done it and that was that. Really unnecessary as I already had a RP and FEC.

Things may have changed, but I only heard about that test once and this is only the 2nd time I've heard about it on Dave's.

[The bear]

Ok, for curiosity's sake I created another account and went through the process again just to remind myself of how useless it was.

There are 3 basic sections: Personal information (nationality, work experience, qualifications etc), a 'behavor test', and a 'knowledge test'.

What's interesting is that there was an option to 'make your C.V. viewable to employers'.

Anyway...the test.

The behavior test was a scale where you ranked yourself from 1-5 based on different scenarios. 1 being never, 5 being always. Another thing was that there was 180 questions and you had 20 minutes to answer. Anyone who's took an online survey with a 1-5 scale knows how tricky they can be to press and answer, so the number of questions in itself was a real challenge.

And the real kicker are the types of questions...including:

radiate joy
Would never cheat on my taxes
leave a mess in my room
talk to everyone at a party

The 'knowledge test' seemed to be a collection of China based questions and English teaching questions.

Including:

Which of the following is considered by psychologists to be a unchanging internal factor that would predict behavior
capacity
task
effort
luck

Who is the author of 'Anna Karenia'?

When general principles, methods, strategies and attitudes acquired from one body of research are migrated to another body of research, such migration can be referred to as which one of these?
Specific migration
general migration
vertical migration
horizontal migration

In general, Chinese students are most likely to exhibit which one of these characteristics during class?
Audacity to ask questions
Eagerness to be singled out for questions
Strong caution about self-expression
Unique modes of inquisition

When driving into a traffic jam, which one of these behaviours is correct?
Weave through traffic changing lanes often
Use the emergency lane to pass cars
Honk your horn repeatedly to warn others of your intent
Stop according to a safe distance behind other cars

When learning a foreign language, Chinese students DO NOT face which of these obstacles
Communication obstacles
Fear of making mistake
Sense of inferiority
Lack of enthusiasm


I promise you these are all real questions, go for yourself and create an account.

What they're testing for they only know, but wow. Those questions.

[jimpellow]

Thanks for the laughs "bear".

I had to take this a few years back when I was looking at returning to China for a position in Tianjin. Good to see that the quality of it has remained horrific. I especially enjoyed the select boxes with some very interesting but completely non-relevant choices.

This was another requirement from the 2013-2014 changes that seemed to have gone away, but apparently has been resurrected this year.

Honestly, if I had needed to take this before I first came to China in 2007 it would have scared me away. Instead I had to learn the hard way what China is all about.

[Welcheronymus]

[Welcheronymus]

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

A colleague was required to take it some years ago, but after the FT scored higher that the lackey in the FAO (also a teacher), no one else was required to take it.

[jimpellow]

[StephenfromNZ]

I completed the TEFL in China (which is run by the training division of SAFEA) five day course in 2011, and completion of the Online Evaluation system for Foreign Teachers was one of the requirements of graduating.

It seemed to be a lot of box-ticking, but an additional qualification recognized by the Chinese Government nevertheless.