• Introduction

Steering Committee for the Test Of Proficiency (SC-TOP) now presents Test of Proficiency-Huayu:Writing (TOP Writing), a communication-oriented test which assesses Chinese learners’ non-academic writing ability. The test materials are based on authentic situations which are close to everyday life. The purpose of the test is to evaluate test takers’ ability to effectively express themselves by writing in assorted situations. In order to accurately measure test-takers’ writing ability from different aspects, all levels of the test require the ability of completing two types of writing. The test will be taken on the computer.

• Target

TOP Writing is a foreign/second language writing test designed especially for non-native speakers of Chinese. Those who wish to measure their Chinese writing ability or to study or work in Chinese-speaking areas are all welcome to take the test. Note: TOP Writing is a computer-based test. Chinese-typing ability (ㄅㄆㄇㄈor Microsoft Pinyin) is a requirement for all test takers.

• Test Levels

The test is divided into four levels according to the complexity of the writing tasks. The testing materials are taken from daily life, school contexts, and work places. Test takers should choose the test level corresponding to their writing proficiency.

• Scoring

For each level, the test adopts a 1-5 holistic scoring scale with 3 as the minimum passing score.

• Test Content

Each level consists of two writing tasks, each on one type of writing.