Prepare for the China Public English Test System oral exam. Master the face-to-face oral interview, picture description, and pair collaborative tasks.
Get ready for PETS Speaking!The PETS (Public English Test System) speaking exam is administered by the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) in China. Millions of students, professional job seekers, and government employees take PETS (ranging from Level 1 to 5) to officially certify their English communication skills for academic graduation, job recruitment, and career promotion in the public and corporate sectors.
The PETS oral test evaluates candidate-to-candidate interactions and examiner discussions. Review a typical PETS Level 3 collaborative picture prompt card below.
The Public English Test System oral exam is typically completed in pairs. Two candidates interact with two certified examiners across three main stages:
The examiner asks direct questions to each candidate about their home, career, studies, hobbies, and aspirations. This measures basic fluency and grammatical consistency.
Both candidates are given picture cards or a prompt sheet. You must discuss the scenario together, asking questions, stating opinions, and negotiating a final agreement.
You receive an individual topic card. You have 2 minutes to prepare your thoughts and then must speak continuously for 2 minutes on the topic. The other candidate then answers a follow-up question.
Watch this guide to understand effective verbal strategy, correct turn-taking, and pronunciation focus during interactive speaking assessments.
Two examiners assess your oral performance on a scale of 1 to 5 based on four interactive criteria:
Evaluates your grammatical accuracy and the appropriateness of the words and idioms chosen to address the test topics.
Measures how smoothly you speak without excessive hesitation or unnatural pauses, and how logically you link your sentences.
Assesses your interactive abilities: initiating discussion, responding appropriately to your partner, and maintaining the flow of conversation.
PETS consists of 5 levels: PETS-1 (A2 equivalent), PETS-2 (B1 equivalent), PETS-3 (B2 equivalent), PETS-4 (C1 equivalent), and PETS-5 (C2 equivalent for advanced academic study and research abroad).
It is traditionally conducted face-to-face in a designated exam center. Two candidates are paired together in front of two trained examiners. One examiner interacts, while the other takes detailed assessment notes.
You will complete a conversational self-introduction/Q&A, a collaborative task where you discuss picture cards with the other candidate, and a brief individual monologue based on a topic card.
