Exam Chinese Classes

If you’re studying for a Chinese exam, don’t sit at home struggling through a pile of revision alone! Whether you’re taking an exam in China, such as the HSK, BCT or YCT exam, or an exam overseas, such as SATs, AP, GCSEs, A levels or IB, That’s Mandarin can help you pass with flying colours by creating a Chinese course designed specifically to meet your exam criteria.

We invite all students to come into one of our three schools for a free trial class before  beginning a Chinese program with us. During your trial class, your teacher will ascertain your current Chinese level and advise on the level you can expect to reach after a course of Chinese classes. You teacher will then draw up a class plan for you taking into account the specific requirements of the exam you wish to take and the time period which you have to meet these requirements.

If you’re making slow progress with your syllabus, taking private Chinese classes is a great way to supplement your language learning and guarantee those top grades on exam day!

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Exams in mainland China

HSK (汉语水平考试 hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì)

The HSK is the only standardized test of Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers. The structure of the HSK was changed last year and it is now divided into 6 levels, as opposed to the original 11 levels. These are split into: Elementary (Levels 1-2), Intermediate (Levels 3-4) and Advanced (Levels 5-6). The written exams, which include listening, reading and writing sections, take place about once a month. The speaking exams, however, only take place several times a year, so if you haven’t signed up for the exam in May, you must now wait until October. See our blog post about this year’s exam dates for more information.

Our teachers have a lot of experience teaching all levels of the HSK, so if you would like any more information or would like to sign up for a free trial class, please get in touch anytime.

BCT (Business Chinese Test)

This is the only official test of business Chinese for non-native speakers. It is designed to provide candidates with an official certificate of their Chinese proficiency, useful when applying for both jobs and university programs in China. The BCT is split into 2 exams: a Listening and Reading exam and a Speaking and Writing exam. This exam can be taken on a computer, meaning that, as long as you are able to read business Chinese texts, you don’t need to worry too much about remembering how to write every character!

At That’s Mandarin, we offer Chinese classes to help candidates prepare for all levels of the BCT exam. After a free trial class, we can advise further on the levels you should aim for and the required timeframe. As well as teaching you all the vocabulary and grammar you will need for your exam, you can also choose to focus on any specific areas of business you are interested in during your classes. See our Business Chinese Classes page for more information.

YCT (Young Learner’s Chinese Test)

The YCT is a Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers under the age of 15. The structure of the YCT has also been changed and the writing exam is now divided into 4 levels, which are outlined below. The writing exam consists of 2 parts: listening and reading. There is also an independent speaking exam, which is divided into 2 levels. The elementary speaking exam is designed for students at Levels 1, 2 and 3, and the intermediate speaking exam is designed for students at Level 4.

• YCT Level 1: Students should be able to understand and use some very basic everyday Chinese, such as introducing themselves, speaking about their families, food and drink, etc.
• YCT Level 2: Students should be able to understand and use some simple Chinese phrases and sentences. Students should now be able to have basic conversations with native speakers.
• YCT Level 3: Students have reached a high level of basic Chinese and can communicate quite freely about familiar daily topics.
• YCT Level 4: Students can communicate in Chinese at a basic level on topics extending beyond daily life. When traveling in China, they can manage to communicate in Chinese about most issues.

At That’s Mandarin, we have teachers trained in teaching Chinese to children and are familiar with the requirements for the YCT. See our Children’s Chinese Classes page for more information.  If you have any further questions or would like to take a free trial lesson, then get in contact with us today.

Chinese exams abroad

SAT

The SAT Reasoning Test is the primary standardized test for college admissions in the United States, which tests whether or not a student is ready for college.

The Chinese SAT subject test involves written, reading, listening and speaking components. The test contains 85 multiple-choice questions and candidates are given one hour in which to complete the test. These questions measure your understanding of vocabulary in different structures and contexts. The listening exam uses both illustrations and recorded dialogue, so it is important that all candidates have a good level of spoken Chinese. The exam board recommends at least 2 years of structured Chinese study before taking the Chinese SAT subject test.

If you are taking a Chinese exam as part of your SATs and need some help reaching the required level, let us know and we will prepare a study plan especially for you.

AP

The AP Chinese Language and Culture course is roughly equivalent to a 4th semester college course. There are also reading, writing, speaking and listening components to this exam, and knowledge of Chinese culture is also important. Candidates will be given a score on a 5 point scale: 5 (Extremely well qualified), 4 (Well qualified), 3 (Qualified), 2 (Possibly qualified), and 1 (No recommendation). Again, let us know if you are taking this exam and our teachers can help you achieve those top grades!

GCSE

GCSEs are academic qualifications awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16, although they can be taken at any age.

GCSE Chinese focuses on the four core components of language learning: speaking, reading, listening and writing. The structure of the exam differs according to the exam board, so let us know which course you are taking and we can create a Chinese program especially for you.

A Level

A-levels are typically studied over a 2 year period by students aged 16-18. They are the standard entry qualification for universities in the UK. As with GCSE Chinese, A Level Chinese also focuses on the four core components of language learning: speaking, reading, listening and writing. The passing grades for A-levels are A*, A, B, C, D and E. The content of the exam differs according to which exam board you take the exam with, so let us know the details of your exam and we will set up an exam Chinese course specially for you.

IB (International Baccalaureate)

The IB qualification is accepted as an entry requirement for thousands of universities worldwide, including many in China. The IB is rapidly gaining popularity in China: there are now 54 IB World Schools in China offering one or more of the three IB programs.

Although there are 3 separate IB programs available, Mandarin can only be studied as part of the Diploma program for students aged 16-19. It can be studied at either Ab Initio level (no previous knowledge of Mandarin), Language B (some previous knowledge), Language A2 (high level of competence, includes language and literature elements).

We offer preparation courses for students at any Chinese level, so please get in touch and we will tailor an exam Chinese program especially for you.