PRETCO: An English Test for Vocational and Technical College Students

In China, vocational and technical colleges account for more than half of its institutions of higher education. For most students in these colleges, English is compulsory. This creates one of China’s largest English learning bodies. The paper deals with the Practical English Test for Colleges (PRETCO), a nation-wide standardized English test specially designed for non-English majors of vocational and technical colleges. Specifically, it first focuses on its purpose, length, and administration. Then, it describes its development and introduces its components and format at length. It also describes test takers’ performance in the test. Finally, it provides an overall evaluation of the test.