AST: a global test with Chinese characteristics

AST is the only China-grown proficiency test in existence and is the only one that fuses input from both the Chinese Ministry of Education and world-leading universities. Created as the ideal testing platform for Chinese students by incorporating aspects of the GaoKao, arguably the most stringent entrance exam in the world, AST is designed to bridge elite students from China with top-tier schools in the west.

Founded in 2002, AST is now accepted by 15 elite western universities in lieu of conventional testing methods at the interview pre-selection stage (TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, etc) to seek out top Chinese students and ensure they have what it takes to excel at the highest levels of academia.

For schools looking to supercharge the recruitment of English poficient Chinese students, AST is the ideal testing solution that is conducted every August at 36 locations across China. Click here for a list of testing locations.

The AST has been established over the past twelve years to identify top-performing Chinese students for admission to undergraduate study in a range of academic subjects. The AST has been developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and has been in use by the University and by 14 other colleges and universities since 2007.

“Students who have taken the AST … have performed significantly better than that of the overall student cohort, and it is clear that the test has proved extremely useful in helping to identify students who are best qualified for admission. These students have consistently achieved first-class honours results in their Cambridge Tripos examinations, and have been an excellent addition to the University.

I am very satisfied with the use of the AST within the University of Cambridge, and we intend to continue using the test in our admissions process for the foreseeable future.”

--Dr. David Cardwell, the fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering, world renown expert on superconductivity