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With the purpose of doing that Level Exam of Chinese Language (HSK) might serve in a better way to the students of Chinese language, Hanban gathered a group of national and foreign experts in Chinese language teaching, philologists, psychologists, educational supervisors and experts in related areas to elaborate a new exam. Based on a complete research and knowledge of the real situation of Chinese language teaching abroad, this new level exam of Chinese language (HSK) has the positive aspects of the old one and takes under consideration the more recent achievements in the research of control and foreign languages exams over the past years.

1. The structure of the exam

The new HSK is an international standardised exam of competency of Chinese language, which has the emphasis in the evaluation of the communication capacity in Chinese language of the candidates, whose first language is not Chinese in work, educational or social environment. The HSK exam includes a total of six levels: HSK (level 1), HSK (level 2), HSK (level 3), HSK (level 4), HSK (level 5) and HSK (level 6).

2. Exam levels

The HSKK levels and the correspondence relationship that have with the level exam of Chinese language (HSK) and with the Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages (CLPS) and with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) are shown below:

After we have the words number of the vocabulary of CLPS CEFR together with the description of the exam parts.

HSK (Level 1)
100 Level 1

A1

The candidate who passes the HSK (Level 1) can understand and use some very elementary Chinese sentences and words and can satisfy specific necessities of communication; moreover s/he posses the capacity of continue the study of Chinese language.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 20 questions 15 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 20 questions 17 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 40 minutes 200 points total
(Passed from 120 points)

HSK (Level 2)
300 Level 2

A2

The candidate who passes the HSK (Level 2) can use the Chinese language only in day-to-day issues that are familiar to him or her and have simple and direct exchanges: the candidate has get his or her first mark of basic level of Chinese language.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 35 questions 25 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 25 questions 22 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 55 minutes 200 points total
(Passed from 120 points)

HSK (Level 3)
600 Level 3

B1

The candidate who passes the HSK (Level 3) can use the Chinese language in communication tasks in work, academic and social environment; at the time of travelling through China can also confront communication tasks in most situations that can appear.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 40 questions 35 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 30 questions 30 minutes 100
Writing comprehension - 10 questions 15 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 90 minutes 300 points total
(Passed from 180 points)

HSK (Level 4)
1200 Level 4

B2

The candidate who passes the HSK (Level 4) can use the Chinese language comparatively on a broad range of subjects and carry out conversations; s/he can also initiate communication with fluency with native speakers of Chinese language.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 45 questions 30 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 40 questions 40 minutes 100
Writing comprehension - 15 questions 25 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 105 300 points total
(Passed from 180 points)

HSK (Level 5)
2500

C1

The candidate who passes the HSK (Level 5) can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, enjoy radio programmes and TV in Chinese language and make relatively complete speeches in Chinese language.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 45 questions 30 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 45 questions 45 minutes 100
Writing comprehension - 10 questions 40 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 125 300 points total
(Passed from 180 points)

HSK (Level 6)
5000 

C2

The candidate that passes the HSK (level 6) can understand easily when listening or reading news in Chinese language, can also express fluently his or her opinions in Chinese orally or written.

Exercises Approximate time Points
Listening comprehension - 50 questions 35 minutes 100
Reading comprehension - 50 questions 50 minutes 100
Writing comprehension - 10 questions 45 minutes 100
Total time (including the time to fill out the data on the exam sheet) 140 300 points total
(Passed from 180 points)

3. Exam levels

The new HSK follow the principle of “joining the teaching with the exam”, in this way the design of the exam is closely related to teaching materials in use and the current international situation of the teaching of Chinese, the double goal is to do the exam promotes both teaching and study.

The new HSK pays a high attention to an objective and true valuation and gives special importance to the development of necessary capacities in the use of Chinese language of the candidates.

The new HSK establishes explicit goals in the exam that allows the candidates to improve his capacity of use of Chinese language in a planned and efficient way.

4. Exam purposes

The new HSK maintain, like the old one, a well established position as general exam of Chinese language that takes care of the needs of a community of students adult of the language. The exam results can satisfy multiple purposes:

  1. For the educational institutions, it offers a bases of referral for the students acceptance, the teaching in separate classrooms, the exemption of courses and the awarding of study credits.
  2. For the employers, it offers a bases of referral as employment, entertainment and promotion mechanism.
  3. For the students of Chinese language, it offers a bases of referral to know and improve their employment capacities of Chinese language.
  4. For the educational institute and training bodies of Chinese language, it offers a bases of referral for the valuation of its teaching and efficacy of its training.
  5. 5. Results announcement

A month after finishing the exam, the candidates will receive the announcement of the results of the HSKK sent by Hanban.

Mock exams

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