ZHC

For the employment contract, see Zero-hour contract.

The ZHC (Chinese: 职业汉语能力测试; pinyin: Zhíyè Hànyŭ Nénglì Cèshì; lit. 'Professional Chinese Ability Test') is a test held by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China to test Chinese citizens' proficiency in Mandarin Chinese.

Purpose and history

The ZHC is intended as a type of entrance test for people who aspire to be teachers, journalists, editors, lawyers, translators, or civil servants. Organized by Occupational Skill Training Authority (OSTA), Ministry of Labor and Social Security, it was developed by experts on linguistics, language teaching, psychology and education measurement.

This exam tests the candidates’ ability to use Chinese in their professional activities. Those who pass the test are issued the certificate of occupational Chinese testing: elementary level, intermediate level or advanced level.

ZHC was formally launched in 2004. It is held on the second Sunday in March, June, September and December annually.

See also

• Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi – a test for non-native speakers administered by China
• Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language – a test for non-native speakers administered by Taiwan
• List of language proficiency tests

External links

• Official Website Template:Zh icon