安徽省教育部门近日确认，将自2017年起停止全国英语等级考试(PETS)。
Educational authorities in Anhui have confirmed that they would stop Public English Test System (PETS), a national English proficiency test, from 2017.
安徽是第一个停止全国英语等级考试的省份，预计将有更多地区停止进行这项考试。根据国务院的一项规划，2020年前，我国将把现行的全国英语等级考试和大学英语考试整合成一个新的考试体系。
Anhui is the first to quit the system, with more regions expected to follow suit under a State Council plan to integrate the current PETS and CET English testing system into a new one by 2020.
广东外语外贸大学副校长刘建达教授表示，中国约有3亿英语学习者，但各教学大纲缺乏连贯性，各类考试缺乏统一标准，存在种类繁多的英语考试。
China has about 300 million English learners who often face multiple, inconsistent English testing systems, said Liu Jianda, vice president of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
教育部副部长林蕙青在上个月召开的一个研讨会上透露，新的考试体系将与国际标准接轨，为考生设置九个等级。一二级为小学毕业生设置，三级对应初中生，四级对应高中生，五六级对应大学生，七级对应英语专业学生，八九级对应高端人才。
The new system would correspond with international standards and set 9 grades for testers - Grade 1 and Grade 2 are desired for elementary school graduates, Grade 3 for junior high, Grade 4 for senior high, Grade 5 and 6 for university, Grade 7 for English majors and Grade 8 and 9 for exceptional talents, Lin Huiqing, vice minister of education, revealed at a symposium held last month.
她表示，五级、六级、七级的考试标准将首先于2017年公布。
The standards for Grade 5, 6 and 7 would be first announced in 2017, she said.
目前我国的英语考试分为两类：一是PETS，也就是全国英语等级考试，应试者不分年龄、学历、户籍等背景，多是中小学生和校外人员。
China currently has two English testing systems. PETS accepts testers regardless of age, occupation and origination. It's widely chosen by elementary and high school students and off-campus testers.
另一个是CET-4/6，即四六级考试，主要应试者是大学生，该考试的结果有时作为应聘的一项重要指标。
CET-4/6 tests are normally taken by college students. The test result sometimes serves as an important reference in recruitment.