I. ExamDates

The Advance Entry Examinationwill be set at the end of the second semester of the first year of the programme.For 2015, the exam date will be July 2 and 3.

II. ExamVenue

Room 402, Teaching Building 4, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

III. Candidates

1. First-time candidates:first-year students of the Guangwai Professional Certificate Programme ofConference Interpreting, who have completed all the required courses with atleast a pass.

2. Re-takers: studentsthat studied in the Guangwai Professional Certificate Programme of ConferenceInterpreting, and failed the previous Advance Entry examination.

3. Advance entryapplicants: applicants that are not students of the Guangwai ProfessionalCertificate Programme of Conference Interpreting may apply for advance entryinto the second year of the programme. They shall take part in the AdvanceEntry Examination at the end of year one of the programme, and should meet atleast one of the following conditions:

(1) The applicant has graduated from aleading T&I School in or outsideChinawith a master’s degree;

(2) The applicant has worked for an international organization as interpreterfor three years or above;

(3)The applicant has worked for the foreign affairs function in a governmentdepartment on the municipal level or above as interpreter for three years orabove;

(4)The applicant has worked for a private organization or an enterprise asin-house interpreter for three years or above;

(5)The applicant is a highly qualified interpreter, and can produce a writtenreference letter from a full-time or part-time instructor of the programme.

IV. Registration

Registrationdates for the 2015 Advance Entry Examination are May 28^th– June 20^th.Applicants for advance entry should submit their graduation certificate,academic degree certificate, academic transcript and curriculum vitae forevaluation. Successful applicants will be invited to the Advance EntryExamination.

V. ExamStructure

The Advance EntryExamination consists of four tests:

(1) consecutiveinterpretingA-B: listen to a4-minite speech in A-langauge

(cut into twosegements), then interpret it into B-language. Note-taking is allowed;

(2) consecutiveinterpretingB-A: listen to a4-minite speech in B-langauge

(cut into twosegements), then interpret it into A-language. Note-taking is allowed;

(3) sight translationA-B:read a speech of 1000 Chinesecharacters or 800

English wordsin A-language, then sight translate it into B-language;

(4) sight translationB-A:read a speech of 800English words or 1000

Chinese charactersin B-language, then sight translate it into A-language.

VI. ExamMaterials and Exam Procedures

1. Materials Selection: Speechesand texts may be proposed by either GSITS faculties or by one or more jurymembers, but must be tested by jury members and be approved by the examinationjury. For better exam qualities, speeches and text will be taken from (or basedon) authentic conference or media material.

2. Format: Speeches for consecutiveinterpreting will be recorded and played to candidates on video. Speeches for sighttranslation will be in the form of written texts.

3. Topic and Preparation:Candidates will be informed of the general topic of tests not later than noonone week before the day of the exam. If deemed necessary by the exam jury, eachcandidate will be given additional proper names or terms at the start of eachtest.

4. Sound, Recording and Timing:The technician(s) in charge will ensure that sound is of good quality. Alltests shall be recorded. Recordings will only be played back to jury members incases of uncertainty or disagreement between jurors. The recordings may also beused as subsequent teaching materials.

5. Candidates will agreeon the order of passage by drawing lots, and inform the jury before the exam.

6. The candidates will bepreparing for the tests in an isolated room, and enter the exam room by orderof passage. Upon finishing a test, the candidates shall leave the exam area immediatelyand should not communicate with other candidates.

7. Once in the exam room,each candidate will complete two tests of the same time, i.e. consecutiveinterpreting A-B and consecutive interpreting B-A, sight translation A-B andsight translation B-A. the candidate may choose which language direction to gofirst.

VII.TheJury

1. All tests shall bejudged by the same full jury. Jury members will be provided with specialgrading sheets with assessment guidelines (50% for information, 30% for language,20% for style and presentation). A score of 60 or above on any test isconsidered a pass.

2. Consecutiveinterpreting performances shall be timed and the jury members shall be informedof the result. The time shall be included in the consideration the score ofstyle and presentation.

3. After each candidatecompletes a test, the jury may have a discussion on the candidate’sperformance, after which each jury member shall hand one completed copy of thegrading sheet to the secretary, indicating pass or fail.

4. When a test iscompleted, the secretary will announce the provisional results. The jury mayhave a further deliberation of the performance of one of some of thecandidates, if deemed necessary.

5. After all the tests arecompleted, the jury will have a final review and discussion, to finalize thescore of each candidate for each test. In case the jury still cannot reachconsensus on a candidate’s score of any single test, jury members may vote on“pass” or “fail” to determine a clear majority either way for the candidate.

6. Grading sheets and commentsfrom the jurors should be noted for purposes of feedback and kept for the finaldeliberations.

7. Candidates that passall four tests shall be granted a place in the second year of the GuangwaiProfessional Certificate Programme of Conference Interpreting. First-timecandidates that fail all or some of the four tests are eligible for re-takingthe Advance Entry Exam of the next year. In this case, they shall take the test(s)that they failed in their first time Advance Entry Exam.

1. Only names ofcandidates who have passed all tests will be announced. If necessary, jurymembers may provide feedback to the candidates.

2. Candidates will beinformed separately in the event of failure on any test, along with the scoresin each failed test and written comments from the jury.

Subject to the approval ofGSITS, the jury may invite professional observers to be present at all or partof the exam.

XI. Questions and Other Issues

Questions and issuespertaining to the guidelines and the examination proper shall be jointly resolvedor explained by GSITS.

XII. Announcement and Implementation

These Guidelines shalltake effect on the date of announcement.

School of Interpreting and Translation Studies, GDUFS

2015-5-28