Wei says the format is easier for Chinese people, because they were raised in an education system that emphasizes memorization.
'For Chinese people, it's just another exam,' says Wei Qi, a Chinese TV producer in Beijing, who aced the test on her first try. Once they study, though, many Chinese find the written test as straightforward as foreigners find it difficult. In nearby Shenzhen, less than 4 percent passed. In the southern coastal city of Zhuhai, only 7 percent passed the new test, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper. When authorities added new questions early last year, failure rates initially soared. Sometimes, Chinese people struggle with the test as well. 'So, at that point I decided, 'OK, I'm giving up on this.' ' 'And I actually did worse,' Kelsch said, laughing in disbelief. Then he studied and took it a third and even a fourth time. I'm sure I got all of them right.' 'Ī traffic bureau official assured him he had not, but allowed him to take the test again on the spot. 'I said, 'There's something wrong with that test. After he flunked the first time, 'I went out and complained,' Kelsch recalled. Kelsch took the English version of the test, but it didn't help much.
