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[tofuman]

If a student passes CET 4 or 6, what TOEFL or IELTS scores would they approximate? Facts please!

[Talkdoc]

Tof - I can't read Chinese but the Beijing Language and Culture University lists the following sets of scores. I assume these are corresponding scores based either on their students' performance or on cumulative data:

IELTS 6.5; PETS5 65; TOEFL 600; CET6 80
IELTS 5.5; PETS5 52; TOEFL 550; CET6 70
IELTS 5.0; PETS5 42; TOEFL 520; CET6 60; CET4 80
IELTS 4.5; CET4 60*

Assuming these are correlated scores, a just-passing score on the CET4 (I assume 60 is just passing) is roughly equivalent to a Band 4.5 on the IELTS (although according to the British Council in China, IELTS scores defy comparison to the CET and TOEFL because "these three tests are different language tests designed for different purposes").**

The inclusion of an oral component in the IELTS exam does raise some questions about the validity of inter-score coefficients (although, empirically speaking, there has to be some correlation in performance, albeit a weak one). Anecdotally, I have had many students (especially in my adult classes in Shenyang) who had decent oral English skills and couldn't pass the CET4. Conversely, I have a couple of current students who have passed the CET6 and can barely converse in English. The students tell me that there are plans to incorporate an oral English component into the CET exams. Sounds like a good idea.

Doc


Notes:
*http://www.blcutraining.com/news3.html
**http://www.britishcouncil.org/china-exams-ielts-onlineregis-faqs.htm

[tofuman]

Thank you very much, Doctor.