College student scores 2 out of 100 in dictation contest, says he's 'literally illiterate'

A college freshman in Wuhan, Hubei province, scored only two out of a full score of 100 in a Chinese character dictation contest, according to a report in Guangming Daily on Thursday.

The student, surnamed Liu, jokingly referred to himself as a new-type "literally illiterate".

Liu explained in an interview that after completing the college entrance examination or gaokao and studying in the major of art design, he rarely picked up a pen to write. The contest was announced at the last minute, leaving him with little time to prepare for it.

During the preliminary round of the contest on Oct 13, he felt familiar with every word and expression given by the teacher but inexplicably forgot how to write them down on the answer sheet. As a result, he resorted to writing the homophones of the exact words, which left him speechless and laughing at his own illiteracy.

Reflecting on his incompetence, Liu expressed his idea that in today's digital age, when communication heavily relies on smartphones and communication software, it seemed that forgetting how to write words has become a widespread phenomenon.

He advised everyone to practice writing regularly as a way to avoid similar situations and maintain a sound writing skill.

Liu's comical experience received lots of attention on social media. Many echoed they have had the same experience of only when they picking up the pen did they realize they don't know how to write the characters.