MCT (Medical Chinese Test) Prep Course

The Medical Chinese Test (MCT) is a standardized language test that assesses the proficiency of medical Chinese application. It is jointly developed by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, Hanban International, and five key medical schools in China. The MCT is mainly aimed at medical students studying abroad, students studying medical specialties in Chinese outside of China, and non-native Chinese medical and nursing staff who use Chinese for clinical diagnosis and treatment both in China and abroad. The test evaluates their ability to communicate in Chinese with patients, medical staff, and related personnel in medical/healthcare scenarios.

At Chinese Learning, we offer specialized exam preparation courses. Our team of professional medical Chinese teachers will assess your current level and recommend the most suitable course and teaching materials for you. We have a range of dedicated textbooks, accompanying exercises, and past exam papers to ensure that you are fully prepared for your exam. Our courses focus on both professional knowledge and exam training. We understand that passing an exam requires more than just knowledge of the subject matter; it also requires an understanding of the exam format and strategies for answering questions effectively. That's why we provide concentrated exam training that is tailored to the specific format of your exam. The Medical Chinese Test (MCT) has three levels in one test. We offer one-on-one guidance to strengthen weak areas of knowledge and help you reach the highest level in the test. Our experienced teachers will work closely with you to identify areas where you need extra support and provide personalized instruction to help you achieve your goals.

I. Test Content

The Medical Chinese Test (MCT) consists of three parts: listening, reading, and writing, each with a maximum score of 100 points, for a total score of 300 points. The test has a total of 101 questions and takes approximately 125 minutes to complete (including 5 minutes for candidates to fill in their personal information).

1. Listening

Part 1, 10 questions in total. Each question will be played once, and you will hear a short paragraph and a sentence. The sentence will also be on the exam paper, and you need to judge whether the sentence is consistent with the content of the paragraph.
Part 2, 10 questions in total. Each question will be played once, and you will hear a conversation and a question. There will be four options on the exam paper, and you need to choose the answer according to what you hear.
Part 3, 10 questions in total. Each question will be played once, and you will hear four to five sentences of conversation and a question. There will be four options on the exam paper, and you need to choose the answer according to what you hear.
Part 4, 20 questions in total. Each question will be played once, and this part of the test is a short passage with two to three questions. There will be four options for each question on the exam paper, and you need to choose the answer according to what you hear.

2. Reading

Part 1, 10 questions in total. There are three paragraphs of text with three to four blanks in each paragraph. Candidates should choose one word from four options to fill in each blank.
Part 2, 10 questions in total. Each question has a paragraph of text, and candidates should choose one option from four that is consistent with the content of the paragraph.
Part 3, 10 questions in total. There are three practical materials (including checklists, medical records, etc.). Each material has three to four questions, and candidates should choose one answer from four options for each question.
Part 4, 20 questions in total. There are five short articles, each with four questions. Candidates should choose one answer from four options for each question.

3. Writing

Candidates need to read a dialogue of about 500 words first, extract the key information from the material, and complete the medical record writing.

II. Test Levels

MCT Prep Course Level 1

Able to understand basic language materials related to daily communication scenes in hospitals. Can engage in simple communication and discussion about medical conditions, and describe basic information about illnesses. Chinese proficiency can basically meet the requirements for hospital internships. The vocabulary for medical terminology is around 400.

Listening: Able to understand basic and short conversations or dialogues related to daily communication scenes in hospitals. Can generally understand simple descriptions of medical symptoms and basic contents of case reports, such as listening to simple symptom descriptions, basic diagnosis, and instructions from senior physicians.

Speaking: Be able to communicate and interact with others on basic medical topics in daily communication scenarios in the hospital. Be able to describe basic information about diseases, such as conducting simple consultations, explaining basic diagnoses, describing medication usage and precautions.

Reading: Be able to understand medical-related written materials to a certain extent, and sometimes need to rely on other means to identify the main information, such as reading medical records, reading medical advice, and reading laboratory test records.

Writing: Be able to make simple records of relevant disease information in medical/ healthcare scenarios, with basic accuracy in writing, such as writing consultation records and ward rounds records.

MCT Prep Course Level 2

Be able to understand basic and specific language materials related to daily communication scenarios in hospitals, and be able to communicate and discuss about the condition in a relatively complex way, with the ability to describe the main aspects of the disease in a more specific manner. Chinese proficiency can generally meet the requirements of hospital internships. The vocabulary for medical terminology is around 800 words.

Listening: Be able to understand basic, standard and clear conversations or dialogues related to daily communication scenes in hospitals. Be able to understand relatively specific descriptions of disease symptoms and the main content of case reports, such as listening to symptom descriptions, diagnostic basis, and treatment plans.

Speaking: Be able to use basic communication strategies to communicate with others on medical-related topics in daily communication scenes in hospitals. Be able to describe the main details of diseases in a relatively specific way, such as explaining the diagnostic approach, treatment principles, and interpreting the condition and cause of the disease.

Reading: Be able to read medical-related literature materials to understand the main content and key information, such as reading medical records, ward rounds records, and discharge records.

Writing: Be able to write medical documents related to diseases in a relatively specific manner in medical/healthcare scenarios, with basic fluency and clarity in expression, such as writing medical records, prescriptions, and progress notes.

MCT Prep Course Level 3

Be able to fully understand the vast majority of language materials related to daily communication scenarios in hospitals. Be able to engage in complex communication and discussion about medical conditions, and provide detailed descriptions of the overall situation of diseases. Chinese language proficiency can fully meet the requirements of hospital internships. The vocabulary size of medical terminology is around 1500.

Listening: Be able to understand conversations or discussions in the daily communication environment of the hospital, where others speak at a normal pace and with clear speech, and comprehend the main points or intentions of their speech. Be able to understand detailed descriptions of disease symptoms, the full content of case reports and relevant discussions, such as listening to expert consultations and case analysis reports.

Speaking: Be able to effectively communicate and discuss medical-related topics with others in the daily communication environment of the hospital, and describe in detail the overall situation of the disease, such as explaining the relationship between pathology and disease, explaining the clinical significance of laboratory test results, and providing health education on the prognosis and prevention of the disease.

Reading: Be able to read medical-related materials, grasp the key points, and master the details, such as reading the key points of case analysis, reading consultation records, and reading discharge summaries.

Writing: Be able to write detailed medical documents related to diseases in medical/healthcare scenarios, use appropriate vocabulary, express ideas clearly, and maintain coherence in discourse, such as writing consultation records, case analysis reports, and discharge summaries.

III. Test Purpose

The Medical Chinese Proficiency Test (MCT) can meet diverse needs:

It provides a reference standard for evaluating the ability of non-native Chinese speakers in medical schools and hospitals to use Chinese for daily work. Test scores can be used as a reference for selection and employment, as well as an important basis for medical schools to divide classes, offer credit courses, and provide internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
It provides authoritative, unified, and operable teaching guidance for teachers and an important reference for testing teaching achievements.
It provides a reference basis for learners to understand and improve their own medical Chinese application ability.

IV. Score Report

The Medical Chinese Test (MCT) has three levels in one test, and the score report provides four scores: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and total score, with a maximum score of 300 points. The ability level is determined based on the test score, and the corresponding score range for each level is shown in the table below:

The MCT score report is issued by the Chinese Language Education and Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Education, and the score is valid for three years from the date of the exam.

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