Scrabble?! PUTONGHUAS

Definitions of PUTONGHUAS in various dictionaries:

The Putonghua Proficiency Test or Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC) is an official test of spoken fluency in Standard Chinese intended for native speakers of Chinese language. The test was developed in October 1994 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, the Institute of Applied Linguistics at Beijing Language and Culture University and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. Specified standards of achievement in the test are required for many jobs in broadcasting, education and government.The test consists of five sections: Reading 100 monosyllabic words to test pronunciation. (10%) Reading 100 polysyllabic words to test pronunciation. (20%) Reading out the correct form from several choices, to test vocabulary and syntax. (10%) Reading a 400-character passage to test fluency. (30%) Speaking for three minutes on a topic chosen from two supplied by the examiners. (30%)Candidates who pass the test are given a Certificate of Putonghua Proficiency Level at levels 1, 2 or 3, each of which is subdivided into grades A and B: Level 1-A (97% correct) is required for presenters in national and provincial radio and television. Level 1-B (92% correct) is required for Chinese-language teachers in northern China. Level 2-A (87% correct) is required for Chinese-language teachers in southern China. Level 2-B (80% correct) is required for Chinese teachers teaching other languages in China. Level 3-A (70% correct) Level 3-B (60% correct) is required for civil service jobs.By 2010, the test had been taken more than 35 million times. As it requires strict adherence to the phonology of Standard Chinese, including such features as retroflex initials, erhua and weak syllables, the test gives an advantage to native speakers of the Beijing dialect and closely related varieties over speakers of varieties lacking these features.