HSK

[doumi]

Hi, I just think about taking the hsk test. I have been studying chinese for almost a year and to be honest i dont know which one should i take. Got some advise? THX

[Scoobyqueen]

Have you read the recommendation guidelines issued by the organiser? If so, where do you think you fit in?

[Scoobyqueen]

Sorry forgot to add that the guidelines do have mock tests. That will be able to tell you what level you are at. Test yourself against time. The mock tests reflect the exam.

[renzhe]

After a year, you should probably be thinking about the HSK basic. Perhaps even HSK Threshold, though you're probably beyond that one.

EDIT: You can also print all the characters and words from HSK sets 1 and 2 located at www.chinese-forums.com/vocabulary . If you know most of them, you should be fine with the Basic test. If you also know many of the ones in the 3rd set, and have advanced grammar, you could also think about the Elementary/Intermediate set, but it is really difficult.

[yonglin]

After a year, you should probably be thinking about the HSK basic. Perhaps even HSK Threshold, though you're probably beyond that one.

I would be extremely vary about making this kind of statement, since different people learn at very different pace. It will depend on a number of things such as your previous language-learning experience, your motivation, your language-learning talents, etc. etc.

I took the HSK after almost exactly one year of studies (two months in China, the rest in a very non-intensive, elective-course fashion at a Western university). I was thinking about doing the basic test, but since it wasn't offered when I happened to be in China, I sat for the elementary-intermediate one instead. I got a 5.

I'd say that you should focus on what you can get right rather than wrong and not to get intimidated (some questions, and some texts in particular, will be really quite difficult since they're intended to test skills up to level 8 ). If you can get some 40-50% of the (multiple-choice questions) right on the elementary-intermediate practice test, you should be sitting for that one. The zonghe section is intimidating and I could never get more than two or three of the fill-in-the-blank questions right.

Good Luck!

[doumi]

hi, does anyone know, how do they score the hsk? i know there are the percantage point and those other... but if there are 140 question, and you get like 98/140 so how do they count your score when you can range up to 300 point??? ( there are 3 parts of the test) . Thanks a lot:)

[renzhe]

Here is some info.

[mirgcire]

I recently took the HSK basic and got no more than 30% correct, if that. I have studied Chinese for about 3 years, but not in a university. My reading ability is weaker than I realized. I know this because during the audio portion of the test, I understood the questions, but it took too long for me to read the answers.

I showed a sample of the reading comprehension test to a Chinese friend and asked her what level student in China would pass the test. She said a 3rd grader would have no trouble with it. Another piece of anecdotal information comes from a Chinese Immersion School which boasts that 2 or 3 of their 5th graders routinely get passing scores on HSK basic.

Does anyone know how the HSK score relates to the education level of a native chinese student? More specifically: what is the mean and standard deviation for each grade of chinese grade school students? This probably does not exist, but it would give a useful basis of comparison for understanding the test results.

[yonglin]

She said a 3rd grader would have no trouble with it.

I'm sure that's a reasonable statement. However, native Chinese do not sit the the HSK, just like native English speakers don't sit the TOEFL. The test is made for learners of Chinese as a foreign language. Evaluating language proficiency among native Chinese would require a very different test.

I think this is quite a good website for reading practice. They've got plenty of beginner pieces.

[mirgcire]

native Chinese do not sit the the HSK

True enough: Chinese students are not required to take the HSK. But it would not suprise me if the HanBan did some testing with chinese students in order to calibrate the tests.

[rezaf]

Last year after studying one semester, half of our class passed HSK level 4.

[Jeanca21]

Did anyone took the April 27th 初中级 HSK?? It was wayy too hard. Some people said that it was much harder than previous HSK of the same level. In the practice I scored pretty well, according to it I could have got a 5-6 level but the exam was different, almost everything that came wasnt the stuff i studied.

[imron]

After every HSK it's the same, with the people who took it talking about how the real exam was harder than the practice ones.

[Jeanca21]

yeah, but there were people that have took it two or more times and have said that this one was harder. I dont know, this was my first hsk test. I hope that at least I can get a 4. Anyway, I do the next one which is on June 22th.

[shuoshuo]

Did the exam have an oral/speaking section? I'm scared out of my wits...people keep telling me to expect to be tested on my spoken abilities (or rather, lack of).

[Jeanca21]

no, it did not have oral test cause it was 初中 （I think that you have to pay an extra fee for oral and writing test in the 初中, not very sure thought）. The one who includes oral and writing test is the 高级。Are you going to do the exam this Nov. 23rd?