Education in Taiwan: school stages, the GSAT and AST, and study abroad tests

In short

Taiwan runs a centrally guided school system under the Ministry of Education. Children move from kindergarten into six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school, and most then continue to senior high school or a vocational school. Entry to university rests on national tests set by a single examination centre, combined with school records and interviews. English is taught as a school subject from the early grades and matters a great deal for study abroad.

School stages

Kindergarten is optional and covers the years before elementary school. Elementary school lasts six years and junior high school lasts three, and together these form the compulsory stage. The state later extended basic education to a twelve-year pattern that includes senior high and vocational school, which is why most families treat the upper secondary stage as the normal next step even though it is not compulsory in the same way.

Senior high school is general or comprehensive in character, while vocational schools prepare students for technical fields and also lead on to technical universities. Each stage is organised by local education bureaus under national rules, and schools can be public or private. Many students also attend after-school cram classes, called buxiban, to support their regular lessons.

National exams

The main national assessment in lower secondary school is the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students, usually shortened to the CAP. It is taken by ninth graders, and its results help students apply to senior high schools and vocational schools. English is one of its subjects, so language skills count from this point on.

At the end of senior high school, students face the two national tests that organise university entry. The General Scholastic Ability Test, written as GSAT in English, is taken in the last year of senior high school. The Advanced Subjects Test, shortened to AST, is taken afterwards and is used by many departments that want deeper subject knowledge. Both are set and run by the College Entrance Examination Center, known as the CEEC. Details such as subjects, timing and registration change from year to year, so always read the notice on the official site before you plan.

University admission

Taiwanese universities admit students through several routes at once. The Star Plan was created to widen opportunity: it lets students from a wide range of schools be recommended on the basis of their GSAT results and school ranking, without a further examination. Through individual application, departments look at GSAT results, school records, portfolios and often an interview. Through distribution admission, students are placed in departments in order of their results on the national tests, using the choices they list.

Because departments choose which subjects and weightings they use, two students with similar results can follow different paths. Technical and vocational students have their own national testing routes into technical universities. Applicants from overseas schools may use other qualifications, and some international programmes in Taiwan accept results from tests such as the SAT or from Advanced Placement courses.

Language of instruction

Mandarin Chinese is the main language of instruction in schools. Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka and Indigenous languages are taught as local language lessons, and English is a compulsory school subject. Bilingual teaching and English-taught university programmes have been growing, especially in science, business and engineering. The questions on this site are written in English, so they suit learners who want extra English practice or who are preparing for study abroad.

Studying for the GSAT and AST

The GSAT and AST reward steady preparation over many months. Start by reading the CEEC outline for each subject and make a plan that matches your department choices. Practise with past material from the official centre, since formats are stable enough for you to learn the layout. Keep an error notebook, write down why each mistake happened, and revisit it weekly. Working in short, timed blocks helps with the long sitting. Many students combine school lessons with a cram class, but your own review time is what turns lessons into results. Remember that the Star Plan and individual application also depend on school records, so keep your grades in the first two years strong.

Exams for study abroad

Many Taiwanese students also look at overseas degrees. Universities in English-speaking countries usually ask for proof of English, which is why IELTS and TOEFL are widely taken in Taiwan. Undergraduate applicants to the United States often sit the SAT, and some schools offer AP courses that can earn credit abroad. Graduate applicants often take the GRE. Each test has an official registration page and an official format, so use those as the final source.

Preparing with GetMyMockTest

GetMyMockTest offers free practice in English for the exams below. Check the official format with each organiser.

• GSAT: practice on Taiwan university entrance subjects.
• AP (Advanced Placement): college-level subject practice for students in Advanced Placement courses.
• IELTS: English test practice for study and migration.
• TOEFL: academic English practice for university study abroad.
• SAT: reading, writing and mathematics practice for undergraduate entry to the United States.
• GRE: verbal and quantitative practice for graduate study.