What is HSK, Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi ?

China's Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, known as HSK or the Chinese Proficiency Test is a standardized test at the state level designed and developed by the HSK Center of Beijing Language and Culture University to assess the Chinese proficiency of non-native speakers (foreigners, overseas Chinese and students of Chinese national minorities).

The test uses only the simplified characters.

The results of the HSK are valid for two years (beginning from the test date).

BEIJING HSK 2012

HSK elementary : (2012年 月 日) - (2012年 月 日)

HSK intermediate : (2012年 月 日) - (2012年 月 日) - (2012年 月 日) - (2012年 月 日))

HSK advanced : (2012年 月 日) - (2012年 月 日)

HSK level 1 (elementary)

HSK level 1 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level I of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 1 can understand and use very simple Chinese phrases, meet basic needs for communication and possess the ability to further their Chinese language studies.

Test target

The HSK level 1 is intended for students who have studied Chinese for a semester (half an academic year), with 2-3 class hours in each week (60-80 hours). These students have mastered 150 commonly used words and basic grammar patterns.

Test content

HSK level 1 test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 40 items. The test will last for 40 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 120/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 20 questions, 18 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 5 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. A phrase and picture will be provided with each item. The test takers should make a true-or-false judgment based on what they hear.
2. Part II : 5 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. A sentence and 3 pictures will be provided with each item. The test takers should choose corresponding pictures based on what they hear.
3. Part III : 5 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. A dialogue and several pictures will be provided with each item. The test takers should choose corresponding pictures based on what they hear.
4. Part IV : 5 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. For each item, a person will make a statement. Another person will then ask a question and provide three possible answers. The three possible answers will be listed on the test paper, and test takers can choose one of the answers based on what they hear.

Reading Comprehension : 20 questions, 17 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 5 items. Each item will provide a picture and a phrase. The test taker should judge whether or not they are consistent with each other.
2. Part II : 5 items. The test paper will display several pictures. For each item, a sentence will be provided. The test taker needs to choose one of the corresponding pictures based on the content of the sentence.
3. Part III : 5 items. During this section, 5 questions and 5 answers will be provided. The test take should match the question with the appropriate answer.
4. Part IV : 5 items. Each item will display a sentence with one word missing. The test taker should select one of the words in the answer section to fill in the blank.

All items on the test paper are shown in pinyin.

HSK level 2 (elementary)

HSK level 2 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 2 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 2 have an excellent grasp of basic Chinese and can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

Test target

HSK level 2 is intended for students who have studied Chinese for two semesters (an academic year), with 2-3 class hours in each week (150 hours). These students have mastered 300 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.

Test content

HSK level 2 test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 60 items. The test will last for a total of 55 minutes (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 120/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 35 questions, 28 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. A sentence and a picture will be provided with each item. The test takers should make a true-or-false judgment based on what they hear.
2. Part II : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. For each item, a dialogue and several pictures will be provided. The test takers should select the appropriate answer based on what they hear.
3. Part III : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. Each item consists of a dialogue between two persons with a third person asking a question related to the content. There will be three possible answers on the test paper from which the test takers can select the correct one based on the passage.
4. Part IV : 5 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. Each item consists of a 4-5 sentence dialogue between two persons with a third person will asking a question at the end of the passage. There will be three possible answers on the test paper from which the test takers can select the correct one based on what they hear in the passage.

Reading Comprehension : 25 questions, 22 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 5 items. Several pictures will be shown on the test paper. For each item, a sentence will be provided. The test taker should choose corresponding pictures based on the sentence.
2. Part II : 5 items. For each item, one or two sentences will be provided in which one word is missing. The test taker should select one of the words in the answer section to fill in the blank.
3. Part III : 5 items. For each item, two sentences will be provided. The test taker should judge whether or not the second sentence is consistent with the first one.
4. Part IV : 10 items. In this section, 20 sentences will be provided. The test taker will be asked to find the correlations between the sentences.

All items on the test paper are shown in pinyin.

HSK level 3 (intermediate)

HSK level 3 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 3 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the B1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 3 can communicate in Chinese at a basic level in their daily, academic and professional lives. They can manage most communication in Chinese when travelling in China.

Test target

HSK level 3 is intended for students who have studied Chinese for three semesters (one and a half academic years), with 2-3 class hours in each week (240 hours). These students have mastered 600 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.

Test content

HSK level 3 test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 80 items. The test will last for 90 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 180/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 40 questions, 35 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. For each item, a dialogue and several pictures will be provided. The test takers should select corresponding pictures based on what they hear.
2. Part II : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. For each item, a short passage will be read out, followed by an assertion, which also appears on the paper. The test taker should decide whether the assertion made is true or false.
3. Part III : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. Each item consists of a dialogue between two persons. A third person will then ask a question about the dialogue. There will be three possible answers on the test paper, from which the test takers can select the best answer based on what they hear.
4. Part IV : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played twice. Each item consists of a 4-5 sentence dialogue between two persons. A third person will then ask a question based on the dialogue. There will be three possible answers on the test paper, from which the test takers can choose best answer based on what they hear.

Reading Comprehension : 30 questions, 25 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. In this section, 20 sentences will be provided and the test taker will be asked to correlate them.
2. Part II : 10 items. For each item, one or two sentences will be provided, in which one word/phrase is missing. The test taker should choose one of the suggested words/phrases to fill in the blank.
3. Part III : 10 items. This part consists of 10 short passages, each followed by a question. The test taker should choose the best answer from the 3 choices provided.

Writing : 10 questions, 15 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 5 items. Each item lists several words. The test taker should construct a sentence using the words provided.
2. Part II : 5 items. Each item provides a sentence with several blanks. The test taker should fill in the blanks with the appropriate characters.

HSK level 4 (intermediate)

HSK level 4 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 4 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the B2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 4 can converse in Chinese on a wide range of topics and are able to communicate fluently with native Chinese speakers.

Test target

HSK level 4 is intended for students who have studied Chinese 2-4 class hours per week for four semesters (two academic years, 320 hours). These students have mastered 1,200 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.

Test content

HSK level 4 test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing and contains a total of 100 test items. The test will last for 105 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 180/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 45 questions, 30 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. For each item, a short passage will read out, followed by an assertion which also appears on the test paper. The test taker should decide whether the assertion is true or false.
2. Part II : 15 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. Each item consists of a dialogue between two persons. A third person will then ask a question based on the dialogue. There will be four possible answers on the test paper, from which test takers can choose the right one based on what they hear.
3. Part III : 20 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. This section consists of a 4-5 sentence dialogue or monologue followed by one or two questions. Four possible answers will be provided on the test paper, from which the test taker can choose the best one.

Reading Comprehension : 40 questions, 35 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. One or two sentences will be provided for each item, in which one word/phrase is missing. The test taker should choose one of the suggested words/phrases to fill in the blank.
2. Part II : 10 items. Each item consists of three sentences that the test taker needs to arrange in the correct order.
3. Part III : 20 items. Each item consists of a short passage, and one or two questions will be asked about the passage. The test taker needs to select the best answer out of the four answers provided.

Writing : 15 questions, 25 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. Each item consists of several words. The test taker should construct a sentence using these words.
2. Part II : 5 items. Each item consists of a picture and a word. The test taker needs to write a sentence based on the picture and the word.

HSK level 5 (advanced)

HSK level 5 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 5 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the C1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 5 can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy Chinese films and plays and give a full-length speech in Chinese.

Test target

HSK level 5 is intended for students who have studied Chinese 2-4 class hours per week for more than two academic years (480 hours). These students have mastered 2,500 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.

Test content

HSK level 5 test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 100 items. The test will last for 125 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 180/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 45 questions, 30 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 20 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. Each item consists of a dialogue between two persons, with a third person then asking a question about the dialogue. There will be four possible answers provided on the test paper. Test takers must choose the best answer based on what they hear.
2. Part II : 25 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. This section consists of a 4-5 sentence dialogue or monologue followed by one or more questions. Four possible answers will be provided on the test paper. The test take must choose the best answer out of the four.

Reading Comprehension : 45 questions, 45 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 15 items. This section consists of various passages, each with several blanks, which should be filled with a word or sentence. The test taker needs to choose the best answer out of four possible answers.
2. Part II : 10 items. Each item consists of a passage and four possible answers. The test taker needs to choose which of the four answers is most consistent with the passage.
3. Part III : 20 items. This section consists of several passages followed by some questions. The test taker should choose the best answer out of the 4 answers provided.

Writing : 10 questions, 40 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 8 items. Each item consists of several words from which the test taker should construct a sentence.
2. Part II : 2 items. The first item consists of several words and requires the test taker to write an article about 80 characters long using the words provided. The second item consists of a picture and requires the test taker to write an article about 80 characters long based on the picture.

HSK level 6 (advanced)

HSK level 6 assesses test takers’ abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 6 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the C2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK level 6 can easily comprehend written and spoken information in Chinese and can effectively express themselves in Chinese, both orally and on paper.

Test target

HSK level 6 is intended for students who have mastered 5,000 or more commonly used words.

Test content

HSK level 6 test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 101 items. The test will last for 140 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information). The test taker must score at least 180/200 points total to be considered passing.

Listening Comprehension : 50 questions, 35 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 15 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. For each item, a short passage will be read and 4 possible answers will be provided on the test paper. The test taker needs to choose the answer that is most consistent with the passage.
2. Part II : 15 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. A recording of three interviews will be played followed by 5 questions. For each question, 4 possible answers will be provided, from which the test takers can choose the best answer based on what they hear in the passage.
3. Part III : 20 items. The recording of each item will be played only once. Several passages will be read, each of them followed by some questions. For each question, 4 possible answers will be provided, from which the test takers can choose the best answer based on what they hear in the passage.

Reading Comprehension : 50 questions, 45 minutes, scored on 100 points.

1. Part I : 10 items. Each item consists of 4 sentences. The test taker needs to choose the sentence that is grammatically incorrect.
2. Part II : 10 items. Each item consists of a short passage with 3-5 blanks. The test taker needs to choose the best answer from 4 possible answers based on the context.
3. Part III : 10 items. There are two passages, each with 5 blanks. The test taker needs to choose the best answer out of 5 sentences based on the context.
4. Part IV : 20 items. This section consists of several passages followed by some questions. The test taker should choose the right answer from 4 possible answers.

Writing : 45 minutes scored on 100 points.

1. The test taker will be required to read a narrative article of about 1,000 characters within 10 minutes, and then rewrite it into a shorter article of about 400 characters within 35 minutes. The test taker should also create a title for the article. The test taker should recount the article and is not required to express personal opinions.

HSK Speaking Test beginner level

HSK Speaking Test beginner level assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves in oral Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 1 and level 2 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test beginner level can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and meet specific needs for communication.

Test target

HSK Speaking Test beginner level is intended for the students who have studied Chinese 2-3 class hours per week for 1-2 semesters. These students have mastered about 200 commonly used words.

Test content

The HSK Speaking Test beginner level is comprised of three parts, containing 27 items in total. The duration of the test is 17 minutes (including 7 minutes for preparation). The test taker must score at least 60/100 points total to be considered passing.

1. Part I : 15 items. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
2. Part II : 10 items. In each item, the recording of a question will be played. The test taker should provide a brief answer.
3. Part III : 2 items. There will be two questions on the test paper (in pinyin). The test taker should answer these questions using a minimum of 5 sentences per answer.

HSK Speaking Test intermediate level

HSK Speaking Test intermediate level assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves in oral Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 3 and level 4 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the B Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test intermediate level can understand intermediate Chinese and converse fluently with native Chinese speakers.

Test target

HSK Speaking Test intermediate level is intended for students who have studied Chinese 2-3 hours per week for 1-2 academic years. These students have mastered about 900 commonly used words.

Test content

HSK Speaking Test intermediate Level is comprised of three parts, containing 14 items in total. The duration of the test is 21 minutes (including 10 minutes for preparation). The test taker must score at least 60/100 points total to be considered passing.

1. Part I : 10 items. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
2. Part II : 2 items. Each item consists of an image. The test taker should say something based on the picture.
3. Part III : 2 items. The test taker should answer the two questions (in pinyin).

HSK Speaking Test advanced level

HSK Speaking Test advanced level assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves orally in Chinese. It is the counterpart of the level 5 of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the C Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test advanced level can understand spoken Chinese and fluently express their ideas in Chinese.

Test target

HSK Speaking Test advanced level is intended for the students who have studied Chinese 2-3 class hours per week for more than 2 academic years. These students have mastered about 3,000 common words.

Test content

HSK Speaking Test advanced level is comprised of three parts, containing 6 items in total. The duration of the test is 24 minutes (including 10 minutes for preparation). The test taker must score at least 60/100 points total to be considered passing.

1. Part I : 3 items. The recording of a passage will be played, and the test taker should repeat the content.
2. Part II : 1 item. There will be a passage on the test paper, and the test taker should read it out aloud.
3. Part III : 2 items. The test taker should answer the two questions on the test paper.