Comments on June 2008 Elem-Int HSK

[my3rdlang]

Today was my first time taking the HSK so I do not know how it compares to previous tests.

I felt that the first part of tingli was harder than the second part.

I found the yufa much harder than the practise tests.

The yuedu part was full of science related reading. 1. 娃娃鱼 2. 地球探测 3. (I didn't have time to read but heard) was about different kinds of caterpillars. I didn't expect this much science material & I got lost really quickly.

I am relieved that today's zonghe was easier than the practise tests.

In practise tests, I almost always scored lowest on zonghe and highest in grammar. With the zonghe section being easier than expected and the grammar section harder than expected, I felt that I did around equally terrible in all sections.

How did you feel about today's HSK? How does it compare to previous tests?

[Marceau]

My second time taking the test. Got a level 3 last year.

I was really bummed out after not understanding most of the first listening questions. I also felt that grammar was not that easy, but the reading and comprehensive tests were ok. At least, I felt I did better than last year.

Still, I am disheartened. I've been here in China four and a half years now. I've been studying semi-seriously on and off for about two years while teaching. Yet, I really haven't made the progress I was so determined to make after being completely overwhelmed by the difficulty of the test last year.

I definitely noticed a difference in the reading comprehension though. I finished about 4 or 5 of the 6 (or 8?) articles, which was way up from 1 and a half last year.

So here I am, thinking I might get something higher than a lowly 3, but thoroughly dissatisfied with myself and my progress this year.

[dncdoor]

Where 100 = the last test (April 27th)

200 = This test*

It really was twice as difficult. When I sat down aftwewards to have a little think to myself....the test is marked from level 3 to 8. There were about 5 questions (out of 170) that could have been answered by someone at a level 3. We can all take some comfort in the fact that the test was unusually 难 and therefore the curve will help us jump at least one level.

On a side note, I am stratled by the lack of HSK dialogue on this forum. 很少 I know, I know HSK isn't the be all and end all......

*Figures relate to the difficulty scale.

[foodtarget]

This was my second time taking the test (took it in April). I actually thought this test was easier than the one in April (still difficult, but easier in comparison). But maybe that was because I was having stomach issues during the last test and was thus somewhat distracted and flustered.

I felt pretty good about the yufa and yuedu, at least compared to last time. The zonghe also felt better than last time, but there were some questions that I agonized over for a while and could not figure out. Two of the ones I remember:

1. 聪聪的妈妈________________ (answers are various combinations of 十分，讲究，修饰，的，and.... something else I suddenly forgot)

2. The second to last 填空汉字 question, something like 谁都不想被淘__出。。。 (my Chinese friend said this should be 淘汰。 I never would have gotten that...)

I was really bummed out after not understanding most of the first listening questions.

I was also kind of disheartened by some of the tingli questions. But hopefully those of us studying in China can at least hope to do better than a lot of people taking it overseas, who rarely get the chance to speak/hear Chinese.... maybe?

I can't wait a month, I want my scores now!!

[dncdoor]

Foodtarget, that is quite a memory you are in possession of

[foodtarget]

Foodtarget, that is quite a memory you are in possession of

Haha, it's probably just because I literally spent about a minute reading and re-reading those two questions and still couldn't make a good guess. After I finished all the other zonghe questions, I went back and looked at them again, so I guess they are semi-seared into my brain.

[foodtarget]

Scores are out!! Scores are out!!

I've been checking the online score report page every day (a couple times a day) for like the past week, because I'm obsessive and impatient, and the scores are finally out! I was very surprised to find out that I had gotten a level 8 (wtf?), but only by the skin of my teeth (got a 339, cutoff for level 8 is 337). So yea, I'm quite pleased, but I might take the 初中 HSK one or two more time(s) before I think about preparing for the Advanced HSK. My 综合 was still a 7, so I'd like to get that up to an 8 and increase my 总分 before moving on...

So how about everyone else? Are your scores what you expected?

[renzhe]

That's quite impressive! Congrats!

[Marceau]

Thanks for the heads up!

Exactly as I thought, I moved up one level, from 3 to 4. Disappointed about my progress this year, but I only have myself to blame. Next time, I have to get at least a 6.

What did the man say again about the road to hell and good intentions?

[my3rdlang]

Listening: 58 (level 5)

Grammar: 69 (level 6)

Reading: 63 (level 5)

Cloze: 67 (level 6)

Overall: level 5

The website stated my overall score as 254 but I calculated it to be 257. Does anyone know why?

[foodtarget]

The website stated my overall score as 254 but I calculated it to be 257. Does anyone know why?

From the HSK website:

A section score of HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) is a scale score with 50 as the score mean and 15 as the standard deviation, while the total score is a scale score with 200 as the score mean and 60 the standard deviation. These scores show the relative position of the candidate in a standard sample group. The table below helps to locate the relative position of a candidate in the whole group. The right column indicates the percentage occupied by those whose scores are lower than the corresponding scores in the standard HSK reference group. Therefore, as it shows, the total score of HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) is not simply an add-up of the section scores.

The full explanations and tables can be found here

[HerrPetersen]

Congratulations everyone! I agree with the person saying that HSK could be dealt with more on this page. In my view it deserves an entry in the "Guide to Chinese-Post/Wiki".

Questions adressed could be:

1.) How does the test start: Is the paperhanding-out-process accompanied with english/native language or is it also chinese?

2.) Is everything on the test paper written in HanZi?

3.) What are the different sections?

4.) What is a typical question for each section?

5.) How do Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced tests differ? (I know this is addressed on the official page, but it would still be nice to hear it from people, who performed on the tests)

...

Things that personally interest me right now are:

The HSK-testmakers recommend that after around 100 hours studytime one could participate in the test. I presume this is 100 hours in class plus 100+ at home?

I am particularly interested in how a typical grammar question looks like.

[my3rdlang]

Thanks for clarifying foodtarget. Congrats on scoring an 8!

My overall score is what I expected, but I was surprised at my tingli and zonghe scores. On practice tests, I don't usually score below 60 on tingli (on the real test I only scored 58 ) whereas I don't usually score above 60 on zonghe (on the real test I scored 67). Yuedu a little better than expected- typically score around 60 (real test 63), Yufa a little worse than expected- typically score in the low 70s (real test 69).

I notice most of my English speaking friends tend to score highest in Yufa, Koreans in Yuedu, Japanese extremely high in Yuedu & tingli scores lagging far behind.

My Japanese roommate who has only been learning Chinese for 4 months got level 6 in yuedu, level 3 in tingli. (Makes me sort of lose face faring worse than her in yuedu).

3 other Japanese friends:

level 8 in yuedu, level 4 in tingli

level 8 in yuedu, level 5 in tingli

level 8 (scored 100% in yuedu), level 6 in tingli