Assessment literacy of Chinese university English teachers has become one of the most discussed topics under the background of implementation of China's Standards of English Language Ability. The purpose of this study is to find the status quo of Chinese university English teachers' assessment literacy and locate factors which may influence the development of assessment literacy. Findings indicate that teachers' own cognition and implementation make a great difference in assessment literacy development and while‐employment training helps a lot. Accordingly, it is advisable to take into teachers' personal background and apply a hierarchical model of training in developing university English teachers' assessment literacy.