Location: China
Trinity College London developed a partnership with Beijing Education Examinations Authority (BEEA) to jointly deliver Trinity’s Graded Exams in Spoken English (GESE) in Beijing in 1999. Two and a half decades later, after overcoming pandemic policy obstacles, the partnership continues.
This high-level GESE project, fine-tuned over the years, allows schools and educators in the capital city of China to approach English communicational skills assessment fairly and transparently.
Improving spoken English standards in Beijing
The BEEA chose to collaborate internationally with Trinity College London to offer the best and widest possible access to English learners in Beijing.
Over 300,000 local learners of all ages have taken these exams in the two decades that have elapsed since, steadily developing the overall standard of spoken English in Beijing through effectively deployed collaboration.
GESE assessment and implementation
GESE assessments are one-to-one, face-to-face conversations available at 12 different Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels, ranging from A1 to C2.
Alongside these speaking and listening exams, Trinity’s role in this project also encompasses the provision of comprehensive and informative diagnostic feedback. Offering this feedback to educators allows them to continuously improve, adapt and elevate their English language teaching.
Safeguarding the future of a long-standing collaboration
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant policy changes across China, GESE exams were paused temporarily from 2020 to 2023.
As of 2024, the long-standing partnership between Trinity College London and the BEEA has been restored.
Both Trinity College London and the BEEA are committed to developing this partnership. When the new Memorandum of Understanding was signed, a shared desire was expressed to explore cooperation in Performing Arts assessments and other relevant areas that would add value for schools, institutions and candidates.