These students looked like they were taking an examination but they were not. Instead, they were participating in a nationwide quiz that aims to promote Chinese culture and cultivate an interest in learning Chinese. A record 1,700 students from 75 schools yesterday took part in the preliminary round of the National Chinese Challenge, organised by Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Media Group and Nanyang Girls' High School. They were tested on various aspects such as translation of commonly used terms from English to Chinese, Chinese proverbs and idioms, pronunciation, literature, current affairs and general knowledge.