Editing College English Test (section)

==Social consequences==
Some Chinese researchers point out the positive social consequences of the CET as it has promoted the role of English teaching and learning at the tertiary level in China over its 20-year history.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gu|first=X|title=Positive or negative? An empirical study of CET washback on college English teaching and learning in China.|year=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Li|first=J|title=The current College English Test in China: Problems and thoughts|journal=Language Education|year=2002|volume=23|pages=33–38}}</ref> At the same time, other researchers challenge the CET by pointing out that the test does not assess communicative competence as the teaching syllabus requires.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Han |first=B. |last2=Dai |first2=M. |last3=Yang |first3=L. |year=2004 |title=Problems with College English Test as emerged from a survey |journal=Foreign Languages and Their Teaching |volume=179 |pages=17–23}}</ref> Before the recent reform of the CET, the large proportion of multiple choice questions made this test an efficient one, but possible sacrifices in accurately measuring English language ability remained a concern.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Zhang|first=X|title=On the negative impact of College English Test Band 4|journal=Educational Science|year=2003|volume=19|pages=35–39}}</ref>  Since the CET certificates had been one of the graduation requirements of undergraduates in the majority of Chinese universities for almost 20 years, test-oriented teaching was another severe problem. However,  changes made in the CET test content, format, and scoring systems are evidence of the endeavors to bring about positive [[washback effect|washback]] of the test on English teaching and learning in China. It is the expectation of the CET committee that the test can reflect and catch up with the needs of rapid economic reform and the new open-door policy.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jin|first=Y|title=On the improvement of test validity and test washback: The CET|journal=Foreign Language World|year=2006|volume=6|pages=65–73}}</ref>