HSK 0 to HSK6 -> 1 month Challenges to learning mandarin

I think you've achieved quite a lot, but I'd like to bring your attention to the fact that the HSK is very badly designed. Even if you only know around 40% of what's being tested, you can get a passing grade, and that means very little. There are too many questions in which you have a 50% chance of being right even if you don't read them, some questions can be solved simply by excluding possibilities, some questions have answers that make no sense at all, and some questions only require you to accurately listen to a single key word.
In my opinion, for the first 4 levels, if you're not fully comfortable with the test, if you're not understanding almost all of it, and your grade isn't above 90% of the max, then it probably means you should still invest some more time studying the language at that level, and not go to the next one.

You seem to be doing great, but don't let the HSK fool you, be sure to master the basics before going on.

I would agree with everything @7800 said, however I wouldn't take that as a negative. Some parts of the HSK are not well designed for ensuring you know the material, but if you passed then you passed. It's more an indication of the actual value that being an "HSK2 level student" has. But you're not going to stop here, are you? I have studied in a language school in Shanghai, where people are taking 3 hours of classes per day, 5 days per week, and are immersed. It still takes most students ~6-8 weeks to achieve HSK2 level. @tsitsi has achieved this in 5 weeks doing self study in their own country. That is a fantastic achievement! All you have to do is not stop.

 

If you keep up even 60% of this pace for the rest of the year, there is no reason you won't be able to get a passing grade on an HSK 5 test on day 365. At HSK 5 you will be able to watch TV shows and understand the general plot, or work on reading through novels as a form of study instead of having to rely on textbooks. There is loads you can do that is enjoyable to help you study, and at this pace you're going to get there in no time!

 

The higher up the HSK examination scale you go, the harder they are to fake your way through (although I will admit this maybe doesn't apply for every question in the tests), and an HSK 3 student is definitely more capable than an HSK 2 student who is more capable than an HSK 1 student.

 

Congratulations, @tsitsi. You should be very proud of yourself, and I will look out for your blog post with your grades to congratulate you again.

As stated on day 1, this is an HSK challenge and an HSK challenge only, nothing more nothing less. I learn with challenges and this works for me, it won't work for others, I have no interest in learning a language forever and not getting something from it, this is just my way to start a kick start, if you will. And I'm very happy with and proud of my progress.

And we are all different, I already have 3 languages under my belt and a few others I've started so not stressed about the different testing systems, at the end of the day if I am able to read, watch, listen, speak and communicate then I'm good. Am I there yet? No but I will be :)