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AJ Warner
The classes were personalised to my language goals.
I wanted to learn Chinese for work purposes, and at the Beijing Expat Fair I found out about That's Mandarin. I studied at the school for 3 months and found the classes were always interesting, the teachers enthusiastic and it was all set in a great atmosphere in which to learn. I particularly liked how the classes were personalised to my language goals. I have already recommended That's Mandarin to others wanting to study Chinese in Beijing.Read more testimonials...
HSK Guide
Prepare for the HSK with That’s Mandarin!
The new format of the HSK was introduced in March 2010, changing both the structure of the exams and the style of language tested.
The old and new HSK exams ran alongside each other for a few months, but now candidates can only take the new HSK exams (apart from at BLCU). The new HSK is split into 6 levels (as opposed to the previous 11): Elementary (Levels 1 and 2), Intermediate (Levels 3 and 4) and Advanced (Levels 5 and 6). The old HSK system was often criticized for the formal and impractical language that it tested, so the new HSK format has been designed to test candidate’s use of more everyday and practical language.
There is now a written exam for each of the 6 levels and separate oral exams for Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced students. Candidates must apply for the written and oral exams separately and you are not required to take exams at corresponding levels, if you feel that one aspect of your Chinese is stronger than another. The minimum passing grade for each of these exams is 60%. Note that in the writing exam, candidates at all levels must achieve a score of 60 in each section of the exam, not just 60 overall.
We know that there is a lot of confusing and contradictory information on the internet about the current structure of the HSK exams, so we have created a complete guide to the HSK to fill you in on all the facts. For each level of the exam, we have outlined candidates’ expected Chinese standard and the format of the written and oral exams. At the bottom of the page, we have also provided information about the 2011 exam dates, registration procedure and cost of each exam.
HSK Guide
Written exam
Students at the two elementary levels will not be asked to write Chinese characters in the written exam. There are only listening and reading comprehension components to this exam and all questions are multiple choice. Many of the questions are also picture-based.
-Level 1 (Elementary)
Candidates can understand and use simple words and sentences in Chinese. They have a foundation to continue studying Chinese. Required vocabulary: 150 words (178 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 15min, Reading: 25min, Total: 40min
-Level 2 (Elementary with honors)
Candidates can communicate simply and directly on a range of daily topics. Candidates are now at the advanced beginner stage. Required vocabulary: 300 words (349 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 35min, Reading: 25min, Total: 60min
Oral Exam
The elementary oral exam is suitable for candidates who know around 200 commonly used words. It is 17 minutes long (10 minutes of speaking, 7 minutes of preparation time).
The exam is split into 3 sections:
1) Listen and repeat, 15 questions, 4 minutes long.
2) Listen to the questions and give a brief answer, 10 questions, 3 minutes long.
3) Answer questions on given topics, 2 questions, 3 minutes long. You will be given a test paper with questions written on it in pinyin. You will then have time to prepare and should answer the questions with a minimum of 5 sentences for each question.
Written exam
For students at the intermediate stage, there are listening, reading and writing components to the written exam. The higher the level you apply for, the longer the exam.
-Level 3 (Intermediate)
Candidates can complete basic communication tasks in daily life, study and work. If traveling in China, Level 3 candidates can handle most communication tasks they encounter. Required vocabulary: 600 words (623 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 35min, Reading: 25min, Writing: 15min, Total: 75min
-Level 4 (Intermediate with honors)
Examination candidates who reach HSK-Level 4 can discuss a relatively wide range of topics in Chinese and are able to communicate with native speakers. Required vocabulary: 1200 words (1071 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 30min, Reading: 35min, Writing: 25min, Total: 90min
Oral exam
The intermediate oral exam is intended for students who have learnt about 900 commonly used words. It is 21 minutes long (11 minutes speaking, 10 minutes preparation).
The exam is split into 3 sections:
1) Listen and repeat, 10 questions, 3 minutes long.
2) Describe pictures, 2 questions, 4 minutes long.
3) Answer questions on given topics, 2 questions, 4 minutes long. The questions will be on the test paper in pinyin. You will have time to prepare for sections 2 and 3.
-Level 5 (Advanced)
Examination candidates who reach Level 5 can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, appreciate Chinese films and TV shows, and are able to write and deliver a full speech. Required vocabulary: 2500 words (1709 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 30min, Reading: 40min, Writing: 40min, Total: 110min
-Level 6 (Advanced with honors)
Examination candidates who reach Level 6 can easily understand what they read and listen and express themselves fluently in written and oral Chinese.
Required vocabulary: 5000 words (2633 characters).
Exam format: Listening: 35min, Reading: 45min, Writing: 45min, Total: 125min
Oral Exam
The advanced oral exam is for students who have mastered around 3000 commonly used words. It is 24 minutes long (14 minutes speaking, 10 minutes preparation).
The exam is split into 3 sections:
1) Listen and repeat, 3 questions, 7 minutes long. The recordings are now passages rather than sentences, so you can retell what you hear in similar words rather than having to repeat it word for word.
2) Read aloud, 1 question, 2 minutes long.
3) Answer questions on given topics, 2 questions, 5 minutes long. The questions will be on the test paper in characters. You will have time to prepare for sections 2 and 3.
Here are the remaining exam dates for 2011. There are written exams for students of all levels on each of these dates, but only oral exams on the final two dates listed here.
| Sunday 26th June | Written exam |
| Sunday 24th July | Written exam |
| Sunday 4th September | Written exam |
| Sunday 23rd October | Written exam, oral exam |
| Sunday 4th December | Written exam, oral exam |
You can register for the HSK online at http://www.chinesetesting.cn/ChangeLan.do?languge=en&t=1305860234669. You must first register on the website, then you can login and apply for your test. In both Beijing and Shanghai, there are many test centers to choose from, so select the one that is most convenient for you. Fill in all the relevant information about yourself and the date on which you would like to take the test, upload a photo of yourself and then you will be registered. One very annoying thing about the system at the minute is that you can’t actually pay your test fee online, but instead must go into the test center where you will be taking the test and pay your fees at least 3 weeks before the test date. Only then will you be confirmed as taking the test.
The test fees are as follows:
| Level | Written exam | Oral exam |
| 1 | 150 | 200 |
| 2 | 250 | 200 |
| 3 | 350 | 300 |
| 4 | 450 | 300 |
| 5 | 550 | 400 |
| 6 | 650 | 400 |
Your results will be available online 3 weeks after you take the test. You will be sent a written copy of your results and your test certificate 60 days after the test.
For more information, see this website: www.chinesetesting.cn, or see this comprehensive FAQ list if your question isn’t answered above (http://www.confuciusbcit.com/hsk_faq.asp). Feel free to get in touch with That’s Mandarin if you are interested in taking the HSK and would like a free trial class, or if you have any further questions!