The Public English Test System (PETS; simplified Chinese: 全国公共英语等级考试; traditional Chinese: 全國公共英語等級考試; pinyin: Quánguó Gōnggòng Yīngyǔ Děngjí Kǎoshì) is a test developed by the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) of Mainland China. The PETS is the edition of the Quanguo Waiyu Shuiping Kaoshi (WSK) for the English language.^[1] It is available in five levels: PETS-1 through PETS-5.^[2] PETS testing is open to persons of all professions, ages, and academic backgrounds.^[3]

The tests were designed in 1996 as a way to test persons outside of the college and university system; the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) gave professional and technical support to the development.^[4] In 1999 pilot tests of the PETS occurred in several cities. The first mass-offering of the PETS was in 2003.^[3]

The testing levels are:

• PETS-5: Advanced level,^[5] sufficient for studying and/or working outside of China,^[6] sufficient for equivalent to an English major at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.^[5]
• PETS-4: Upper intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after three years of studying English.^[5]
• PETS-3: Intermediate level, equivalent to that of a non-English major student at a Chinese university after two years of studying English.^[5]
• PETS-2: Lower intermediate level, equivalent to that of a student entering university in China.^[5]
• PETS-1: Elementary level,^[5] equivalent to completion of three years of English instruction, or what someone would have at the junior high school level.^[7]

There is also a PETS-1B, which is below PETS-1.^[3]