The tests were designed in 1996 as a way to test persons outside of the college and university system; theUniversity of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) gave professional and technical support to the development.[4] In 1999 pilot tests of the PETS occurred in several cities. The first mass-offering of the PETS was in 2003.[3]
The testing levels are:
PETS-5: Advanced level,[5] sufficient for studying and/or working outside of China,[6] sufficient for equivalent to an English major at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.[5]
PETS-4: Upper intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after three years of studying English.[5]
PETS-3: Intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.[5]
PETS-2: Lower intermediate level, equivalent to that of a student entering university in China.[5]
PETS-1: Elementary level,[5] equivalent to completion of three years of English instruction, or what someone would have at the junior high school level.[7]
There is also a PETS-1B, which is below PETS-1.[3]
^"首页Archived 2015-03-12 at theWayback Machine."Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi. Retrieved on March 13, 2015. "全国外语水平考试（WSK）是为了鉴定非外语专业人员的外语水平而设置的考试，其成绩主要用于选拔国家公派出国留学人员。全国外语水平考试设英语（PETS-5）、法语(TNF)、德语(NTD)、日语(NNS)和俄语(ТПРЯ)五个语种。"
^"English." Public English Test System. Retrieved on March 13, 2015.
