The first ever YCT (Youth Chinese Test) exams was held on November 14, 2021. This was a great milestone for the Institute which is an approved HSK/HSKK/YCT examination Centre. This is an international Chinese proficiency exam meant to gauge the proficiency of young foreign learners of the language. It is set and marked by Beijing and administered only by approved Centers globally. The Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University attaches great importance to the organization of the examination, and the examination staff carefully conducted pre examination training for the candidates participating in the YCT examination.
To ensure compliance with MOH Covid-19 regulations, the day before the examination, staff cleaned and disinfected classes. The Institute also made available hand sanitizers, masks and took body temperature for all candidates and invigilators.
It is a well-known fact that persons that start learning a foreign language at a young age are the ones that end up being excellent at it as compared to those who learn as adults. It is also the hope of the institution that all the candidates that sat for the exam will eventually join Kenyatta University once they attain University going age. Each candidate was accompanied by parents who patiently waited outside the LCC building, chatting their way through the exam time. They expressed their satisfaction on how KU had organized the exams and hoped their children would all pass with flying colors. Chinese schools and Universities use scores from YCT and HSK/HSKK exams to award entry and scholarship opportunities to foreigners who wish to study in China. Chinese employers also check the score of these tests to determine proficiency in the language.
As a way to encourage Chinese non first language teenagers to learn Chinese language, cultivate and improve their Chinese speaking ability, in 2004 Hanban brought together a team of Chinese language teaching experts from China and abroad who developed the New YCT exams. They did it on the basis of a full investigation and understanding of actual Chinese teaching situation of overseas teenagers. YCT aims to enhance candidates' self-confidence and sense of honor in learning Chinese. It follows the principle of "combination of examination and teaching", and closely combines the examination design with the current situation of International Youth Chinese teaching and the use of teaching materials, "promoting teaching through examination" and "promoting learning through examination".
YCT test meets the test needs of the classrooms under the Confucius Institute and local primary and secondary school students' Chinese learners. It not only provides a reference for candidates to understand and improve their Chinese ability, but also provides a basis for the school's Chinese teaching.
The youngest candidate in the 2021 KUCI YCT exam was 7 years old.
Chinese volunteer Lin Zhe supervises the candidates
Chinese lecturer Zheng Shanpeng takes temperature of all candidates in strict adhere to Kenya’s MOH Covid-19 guidelines
Children taking YCT exams