Here you can find our most frequently asked questions about both the CTCSOL exams and training in Maastricht. Is your question not mentioned in this list? Please contact us and we will answer your questions promptly.
CTCSOL Frequently Asked Questions
For more details about the exam dates, please check our webpage
The basic course will start at the end of January 2024 (exact dates TBA). The additional (optional) courses will start after the basic course ends, around xx.
You can sign up for the courses between xx-xx-2023 and xx-xx-2024. The courses will start at the end of January 2024. You can sign up for the written exam until xx-xx-2024. You can sign up for the interview after you passed the written test.
When signing up, participants of the course and exam have to submit a certificate equivalent to at least HSK 5, or have a Chinese passport.
For the most part, the lessons will be available both online and on location at CIM. The 69 micro-courses are self-study and can be done whenever and wherever you want. The other courses have fixed times, usually from morning to mid-afternoon, and take place on location. You can also join these classes via webcam. The exam has to take place on location and cannot be taken online.
Yes you can! For enthusiastic students, we will provide an opportunity to gain real-life practical experience by offering scholarships. You will be given the chance to go to our partner university DUFE (Dongbei University of Finance & Economics) to study for a few months.
As soon as you pass both the written exam and the interview, your Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages has a validity of 5 years.
Note: if you pass the written exam, but not the interview, your score of the written exam will still be valid for two years. This way, you have an opportunity to try the interview again.
Although it is strongly recommended to take a preparatory course for improving teaching skills and increasing the chance of passing the exams, it is possible to take the exams on their own. The costs of the exams will be:
Written exam €150
Interview €210
With your Certificate for Chinese Teachers, you can teach at over 500 Confucius Institutes at colleges and universities, and over 1000 Confucius classrooms at primary and secondary schools in more than 140 countries. As it is a globally recognised certificate, you can also teach at other Chinese educational institutes.