The HSK ExamHanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, also

known as the Chinese Proficiency Test

Why take the HSK?• You want to attend a Chinese university

and pursue a Chinese language curriculum there

• You want to get a scholarship for foreigners at a Chinese university

• You need to show your Chinese proficiency level for employment purposes

• You want to measure your Chinese proficiency (and brag about it)

Structure of the HSK exam

• HSK 1, 2 and 3 are heavily grammar based

• HSK 4, 5 and 6 build your vocabulary• Getting to HSK 3 is relatively easy

because there is not much specific vocabulary up to this level. By HSK 3, you only need to master 600 words

• Getting from HSK 4 to HSK 6 requires mastering 4400 words

HSK Vocabulary Breakdown

HSK Level

Words Learned

1 150 vocabulary words2 150 vocabulary words3 300 vocabulary words4 600 vocabulary words5 1,300 vocabulary words6 2,500 vocabulary wordsTOTAL 5,000 vocabulary words

Time Allocation for the HSK Test

HSK Level

Listening

Listening: fill in score card

Reading Writing

Fill in personal information

Total minutes

1 15 min 3 min 17 min N/A 5 min 40 min2 25 min 3 min 22 min N/A 5 min 55 min3 35 min 5 min 30 min 15

min5 min 90 min

4 30 min 5 min 40 min 25 min

5 min 105 min

5 30 min 5 min 45 min 40 min

5 min 125 min

6 35 min 5 min 50 min 45 min

5 min 140 min

What does each HSK level mean?

HSK Level

Skill Level

1 Very rudimentary understanding of the Chinese language and its basic concepts

2 Student can engage in simple conversation and respond to daily life situations

3 Daily life can be comfortably mastered (some Chinese universities require HSK 3 or 4 for enrolment)

4 Student can engage in more challenging topics of conversation and express his/her points clearly and comprehensively

5 Student can properly engage in daily Chinese life, understand cultural nuances and appreciate media coverage in the Chinese language

6 No more problems should exist for the student in daily life, at work or in any social context. The basis for true exposure to the Chinese culture.

HSK 3 is a milestone• You achieve Mandarin Chinese intermediate

proficiency• You will have learned 600 vocabulary words• You are done learning all the Chinese

grammar• You start writing, or typing (if you are the

majority of students). Japanese and Korean students usually have very little hard time with Chinese characters.

How many hours to study for each HSK level?HSK Level Hours Needed

1 30 hours2 30 hours3 60 hours4 120 hours5 180 hours6 250 hours

Data based on a student studying two-hours per day one-to-one, with a trained teacher. Students in group classes will need more hours. Source: studyhsk.com.

How to Study for the HSK

• Get the vocabulary list for each HSK level

• Make Flashcards – create them yourself or use an app to help you memorize vocabulary

• Take mock HSK tests under time constraints to see how you would do on exam day

• Get an HSK trained teacher to learn material and tips for the test

Where to find study materials?

• Confucius Institute – a good source of exam examples

• Hanban Website – the organization that administers the HSK test

• Beijing Language and Culture University books – BLCU developed the HSK

• StudyHSK Blog – Extensive explanation of some HSK vocabulary

Miscellaneous• HSK Test Dates• HSK Test Registration• Find an HSK Test Center

• And… Good Luck!