Beginning next June, Taiwan will require that foreign students and overseas Taiwanese-Chinese applying to study in universities take a newly developed Mandarin proficiency text, according to the Taipei Times. Those who do not pass will be required to take Mandarin lessons to supplement their studies.

Here are the proficiency test levels:

• Elementary

  Level 1

  can understand simple instructions and basic dialogues

  Level 2

  can understand the main points of topic and read ads, posters, etc.

• Intermediate

  Level 3

  can understand general conversation and short texts

  Level 4

  can pick up the main points of a discussion and understand longer texts

• Advanced

  Level 5

  can discuss specialist subjects and understand simple classical Chinese texts and proverbs

  Level 6

  can expound upon and discuss topics and understand news reports at native speed

  Level 7

  native speaker fluency

source: Foreign students face Mandarin test, Taipei Times, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005.