Date: 07/12/2007

On December 7, 2007, about 140 government officials and experts in the Chinese testing community gathered at Beijing International Hotel in Beijing for the Second International Seminar on Testing Methodologies and Technologies. ATA, the leading test services and technologies provider in China, is the host of the annual event. The theme of the seminar was to introduce the latest methodologies and technologiestrends in the international testing arena.

Riding on fast economic development, testing in China has resumed its vitality and become a huge social demand today. Government and commercial test sponsors are eager to embrace the latest testing theories and technologies in the developed countries, especially in the area of IP protection, quality control, test security and efficiency improvement in test management. To tailor for these demands, ATA has been hosting the annual industrial event since last year hoping that the seminar will serve as a platform for the testing industry in China to interact with their international counterparts and open their international perspectives on testing and assessment. For international players, this is also a good opportunity to enhance their visibility in China and further their understandings about this potentially largest testing market in the world.

All key players in the Chinese testing community including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Construction and The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and officials from professional associations as well as commercial test sponsors participated in the one day event. Dr. William G. Harris, Executive Director of the Association of Test Publishers and Ms. Sierra Hampton, Senior Exam Development Lead of Citrix System Inc. gave their presentations as honorable speakers at the seminar. They introduced the latest development in the international testing market and the role of ATP, and shared with the audience the best practices in test development. ATA psychometrician and professors from Beijing Foreign Studies University also shared their insights on test data management and presented their research findings on the influence of testing media on the performance of test takers. The presentations aroused great interest among the participants and each was followed by active discussion. Several ministries have already expressed their interest in joining the annual meeting of ATP 2008 in Dallas wishing to increase their exposure and further their communications with the international testing community.