About 60 percent of candidates failed the Putonghua listening and recognition test in this year’s Language Proficiency Assessment, the Education Bureau announced on Thursday, adding that results have been posted to examinees.

The assessment is open to anyone aspiring to become Chinese- or English-language teachers, whether they are members of the public or teachers of other subjects.

The Putonghua paper involves four parts: listening and recognition, pinyin, speaking, and classroom language assessment – which takes the form of a lesson observation

This year, 1,543 candidates were assessed for the English language section while 2,183 sat the test for aspiring Putonghua educators.

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The Putonghua paper involves four parts: listening and recognition, pinyin, speaking, and classroom language assessment – which takes the form of a lesson observation. Participants in the English assessment were evaluated on reading, writing, listening, speaking and classroom language assessment.

All attendees can freely pick the subtests based on their needs expect for the classroom language assessment, a subtest that only current teachers can undergo. Those who attain Level 3 or higher in the Language Proficiency Requirement in all papers under the same section qualify to teach those languages at schools.

A total of 671 people from the Putonghua section passed the listening and recognition subtests, with a successful rate of 40.3 percent, the lowest of the four subtests.

The bureau said that the overall assessment report will be released in July on the websites of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and the bureau

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Writing was the weakest part for English test-takers this year. Only 51.1 percent of the 1,177 candidates scored highly enough.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the bureau said that the overall assessment report will be released in July on the websites of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and the bureau, which reflect candidates’ performances, including their strengths and areas for improvement.

The question papers and answers as well as compact discs recording the questions of the listening subtest will go on sale in July.

Intern Chen Xiyun contributed to the story.