Overview
The 1+X system is a Chinese vocational education policy. The "1" is the academic diploma from a school, and the "X" is a set of vocational skill level certificates that a student can earn alongside it. The aim is for graduates to hold both a diploma and recognised proof of specific job skills.
It is not a single exam. Each X certificate has its own skill standard, assessment and issuing organisation. The only source read for this page is the Ministry of Education's 2019 question-and-answer notice on the pilot scheme, written in Chinese, so the page describes the system as set out in 2019. Details such as the current list of certificates, levels and fees are not in that notice and are not stated here. Check the Ministry of Education and the certificate's issuing organisation for the latest position.
Who can apply
The pilot is run through schools. According to the 2019 notice, pilot institutions are mainly higher vocational schools and secondary vocational schools (not technical schools), with undergraduate-level vocational pilot schools, applied undergraduate universities and the Open University of China also taking part. Students enrol in a pilot major, and a school may also offer training to other members of society.
Exam pattern
The notice describes how the X certificates are assessed in general terms rather than as a fixed paper:
A vocational education training and evaluation organisation develops the skill level standards and certificates, and carries out assessment and certificate issuing.
Assessment content should reflect the professional conduct, knowledge and skills needed for typical jobs, and the methods should be varied, with emphasis on the ability to complete typical work tasks.
Assessment sites are normally set up in qualified pilot schools.
Who runs the system
Ministry of Education: plans and oversees the pilot, supervises certificate delivery in schools, builds the expert pool for selecting organisations, and monitors quality. It also explores a national credit bank.
Training and evaluation organisations: responsible for certificate quality and reputation, including standards, learning resources, assessment sites and issuing certificates. They are selected through public recruitment and should have industry backing.
Provincial education authorities: guide the pilot in their region, handle school registration, and work with other departments on training and assessment fee policy.
Pilot schools: choose certificates, fit the training into their programmes, and apply to become assessment sites.
Syllabus
Each certificate has its own skill level standard developed by its organisation, based on national occupational standards and aligned with the relevant school specialty teaching standards. Schools are asked to build the certificate training content into their teaching plans. Where a specialty course does not cover a certificate topic, schools can run extra training.
The pilot targets 20 skill-shortage fields, including modern agriculture, advanced manufacturing, modern services and emerging strategic industries, starting with about 10 fields in 2019.
Marking and results
The notice does not give pass marks or score scales. It says certificate assessment must be strict, and that the learning outcomes shown by a certificate should be given credit. The Ministry plans to record both diploma and certificate results in a credit bank so that they can be recognised and exchanged.
Fees
Fees are not stated in the notice. It says provincial education authorities work with other departments to set the fee policy for certificate training and assessment, and the central government planned a rewards and subsidy system for provincial pilots. Check the fee with your school or the issuing organisation.
How to apply
The notice does not describe a registration procedure. It says the training and evaluation organisation carries out assessment and certificate issuing, and that assessment sites are normally set up in qualified pilot schools. Ask your school which X certificates are offered with your specialty and how to enter.
After the exam
Certificates are issued by the training and evaluation organisation that assessed you. The Ministry planned to record diplomas and certificates in a national credit bank, so that learning results can be recognised, accumulated and converted, and to build towards a national qualifications framework.
Preparation tips
Find out from your school which certificates match your major and when training is offered.
Obtain the skill level standard for the certificate from its issuing organisation, as it defines what is assessed.
Practise the typical work tasks of the job, because assessment stresses completing them.
Is 1+X one exam?
No. It is a system of many separate vocational skill level certificates, each with its own standard and assessment, alongside a school diploma.
Who issues the X certificates?
Vocational education training and evaluation organisations selected through public recruitment, not the schools themselves. Schools can act as assessment sites.