Why a Chinese political scientist wants the public to take a test on foreign affairs
In an era where short-form videos and viral commentary can dominate public discourse on geopolitics, one Chinese political scientist is on a mission to correct what he calls a “negative one” level of understanding.
The fourth edition of the annual exam – known as the International Relations Basic Knowledge Proficiency Test – was held on July 5 at the Liaoning International Hotel in the Chinese capital.
“With the rise of short videos on social media, misleading narratives about international relations have become increasingly severe,” Yan said.
Chinese authorities maintain strict scrutiny over online content. But in the field of international affairs, the controls are comparatively looser. This flexibility provides content creators with greater room to generate traffic by capitalising on international events and diplomatic issues.
“In some disciplines at Tsinghua University, teaching starts from zero – introducing students to what they don’t know,” Yan said.
“But in international relations, we have to start from negative one. We must first correct the deep-seated misconceptions they already have.”
Yan said serious global conflicts were also being reduced to “entertainment”, comparing some online public commentary to spectators watching the World Cup.
“International affairs directly affect people’s lives and property. Treating global conflicts as if they were sports or somehow entertainment is detrimental to social progress,” he said.
The test started as an experiment in July 2023 with 337 participants.
Since then it has grown into a highly structured evaluation system with three tiers: primary, intermediate and advanced.
So far, 1,657 people have taken part. Undergraduate students make up the largest share of those taking the test at 36 per cent, followed by master’s students (35 per cent), PhD candidates (17 per cent) and educators (4 per cent), with other participants making up the remaining 7 per cent.
To maintain rigour, there is a strict progression system. Candidates must pass the primary level before attempting the intermediate and advanced exams. Those who score 60 or above out of 100 receive an official proficiency certificate.
Despite the difficulty of the test, pass rates remain high. The pass rate is around 90 per cent for the primary exam, while the intermediate and advanced levels have both exceeded 80 per cent in the past two years.
Yan attributed that to a strong “self-selection” mechanism among those who choose to sit the test.
“Although the exam is open to the general public, the vast majority of those who actually sign up come from a background in international relations-related disciplines … those who feel unprepared simply do not register,” he said.
“Just as English majors are expected to achieve a near-100 per cent pass rate on the CET-4 [China’s national English proficiency test for college students], the pass rate for international relations majors on our exam should naturally be above 90 per cent,” Yan said.
He noted that the difficulty of the test had increased incrementally each year. In 2026, its duration was cut to just 60 minutes for 50 questions.
The test balances classical theory, research methodology and real-time geopolitics.
Exam questions include both those on historical events and current hot topics. Questions on historical events test understanding of the basic nature of international relations, while those on current hot topics test a person’s ability to apply academic knowledge to analyse real-world issues.
The primary-level test is about basic concepts and history; the intermediate tier focuses on theoretical principles and methodology application; and the advanced level evaluates the analytical application of complex international relations theories and mastery of quantitative research.
Yan said rapid changes in geopolitics were actually helpful when putting together the test.
“A fast-changing international situation provides us with fresh, real-world scenarios to craft questions,” he said.
According to Yan, the test was helpful to show people the practical value of using academic knowledge to analyse reality.
The initiative is now gaining traction beyond China. Yan said observers from Spain, Greece and Pakistan had expressed interest in launching similar tests in their own countries to elevate public and media literacy in international relations.