ISLAMABAD: China Radio International (CRI)-Roots Millennium Confucius Classroom conducted Youth Chinese Test (YCT) at Roots Millennium Schools’ One World Campus E-11/4, Islamabad. As many as 15 Chinese language teachers from CRI-Roots Millennium Confucius Classroom supervised the YCT, with the director of CRI Confucius Classroom Pakistan Chen Xiang as the head. Almost 626 students, a record high, from 17 different campuses of RMS nationwide appeared for the YCT. YCT is an international standard test for Chinese language proficiency held by the Hanban Confucius Institute Headquarters, China. The YCT assesses the learner’s ability to use Chinese in their daily life and is divided into four levels. YCT Level One is to master a vocabulary of 80 words and short sentences while YCT Level Two is to master a vocabulary of 160 words and longer sentences. These four levels of YCT in total are to understand the short passages on the topics of school study and conduct basic communications in topics such as feelings, attitudes, suggestions, sports and the descriptions of people and objects. The YCT is held thrice in Pakistan and around the world, organised by Confucius Institutes Headquarters in more than 300 countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, etc. This initiative has enabled students to learn Mandarin at RMS, Pakistan and has helped them to explore China through summer and winter camps organised by Hanban Confucius Institute Headquarters, China. Speaking on the occasion, RMS CEO and Founder Roots Millennium Chinese Language Department Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq said, “The youth on both sides of the border is untapped resource that needs to be utilised in the 21st century by eliminating the language barrier. This driving force will be responsible for growth and development of our nations and region. Meanwhile 8,500 students of RMS are learning Chinese language on full-time basis as part of the mandatory school curriculum from Grade-1 to Grade-7 with the support of Chinese language foreign faculty. This language initiative will enable the youth to think about the challenges of tomorrow.” Published in Daily Times, April 27th 2018.