SHANGHAI: Shanghai students will no longer need to go overseas to take the American College Test (ACT) to qualify for universities in the United States.

Shanghai University is the only Chinese mainland institution to have co-operated with the ACT examination centre this year in order to provide the International University Preparation Programme for Shanghai students.

At the end of August, there will be 30 students in Shanghai taking the ACT. "Most distinguished universities or institutions in the United States require overseas students to have good scores in both ACT and SAT," said Huang He, a Chinese promoter of ACT Education Solutions.

Admission decisions

Compared with pure language tests such as TOEFL and IELTS, the ACT test includes English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning tests. American colleges use tests such as the ACT or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), along with other information to make admission decisions and also use them as criteria for the awarding of scholarships.

"Students applying for American universities account for 80 per cent of all Shanghai students seeking foreign university admission," said Huang, "The localized ACT test can help local students apply for admission into overseas universities or institutions more easily."

Only students having taken the Global Assessment Certificate (GAC) courses can qualify for the ACT Test. The GAC is a universally acknowledged curriculum that is recognized by English-speaking countries including the United States, Britain and Australia. "Students need to take the one-year GAC courses before sitting the test," Yu Linxiao, director of Preparation Programme from Shanghai University, pointed out.

"Students who have graduated from high school with a good command of English can apply for GAC courses," said Yu. The students, having taken the GAC courses, can directly apply for study abroad in more than 100 overseas universities.

Preparation programme

The GAC, as a Preparation Programme, aims to help students adapt to the overseas learning environment. Compared with the preparation courses provided by foreign countries, the GAC courses in Shanghai emphasize learning skills in addition to language training. "The Preparation Courses in Shanghai are much cheaper than those in other countries," said Huang. "Tuition of Preparation Courses in Australia is five times that in Shanghai."

According to Huang, there are now more than 20 ACT authorized examination centres in China. They are located in cities and provinces including Beijing, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Jiangsu. "We are now negotiating with other universities and institutions for their co-operation," said Huang. "However, we will control the number. The number of examination centres in Tianjin, for instance, is limited to two, in line with the city's demand," he stressed.

Just one year ago, students had to go to Hong Kong to take the ACT. At the beginning of this year, the ACT entered China.

"We plan to establish 30 examination centres in China by the end of this year," said Huang.

(China Daily 08/09/2005 page3)