Since March 2004, I have been studying at the National Taiwan Normal University Mandarin Training Center. In two and a half years time, I have taken the proficiency test at all three levels: basic, intermediate and advanced. The reason I have so enthusiastically participated in the Chinese Proficiency Test is to better understand my precise Chinese level. The graded scoring levels of the test helped me understand my weaknesses in listening, vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension, and I was therefore able to concentrate on and strengthen those areas.
From my experience I believe that a student with a general understanding of Audiovisual Chinese II should have no trouble passing CPT Level 2. There are a number of trick questions in the listening comprehension portion of the intermediate and advanced level tests, so if one is not careful it is quite easy to choose the wrong answer. Furthermore, there is a high occurrence of proverbs and idioms in all sections of the intermediate and advanced level tests, so besides general grammar and vocabulary one should also be prepared with a good knowledge of proverbs, slang and idioms.
In order to strengthen my listening comprehension, I did my best to listen to radio broadcasts or watch television everyday. Once I could understand children’s programs, I slowly moved on to more difficult programs like interviews. This strategy will definitely help you improve your listening ability. As for strengthening vocabulary, grammar and reading ability, I recommend studying materials on the level of Audiovisual Chinese III, Taiwan Today, and Selected Newspaper Readings. The explanations in the Easily Confused Words section of Audiovisual Chinese III are especially helpful. Reading novels will also improve your reading comprehension. Not only will you learn how words are used, you will also slowly get accustomed to reading Chinese articles.
I hope that my experience can help you as you prepare to take the test.
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