Confusion over HSK levels???

[BrentMoore]

Greetings. I am about to begin preparation for my first HSK exam (October in Australia). I will try Elementary-Intermediate, with a view to the more 'elementary side'. However when it comes to looking for preparation materials, I am a little confused about the levels. It appears that there is 3 tests equating to 3 broad levels (I understand there are 11 grades among these 3 levels). However the online HSK vocabulary on this website, as well as a HSK dictionary I have has 4 levels. Is the elementary-intermediate one qualification but two different papers sat at the same time? Also another set of tapes I have found show 6 levels, and I have assumed it is two stages (of difficulty) of the 3 different levels.

Above all of this, how does it all translate into a grade?

Thanks.

Brent.

[roddy]

There are 3 exams.

基础 - Foundation (100-800 hours of study)

初中 - Elementary/Intermediate (400-2000 hours of study)

高 - Advanced (3000 hours upwards)

The vocab is divided into four levels. I can't remember exactly how it works, but it's something like Foundation uses level 1, E/I uses levels 1-3 and Advanced uses 1-4. I'll be able to confirm this when I get a chance to look at my handbook.

Grades are from 1-11. I think 1 and 2 are classed as failing, 3-5 are elementary A-C, 6-8 Intermediate A-C and 9-11 Advanced A-C.

This is as I understand it, I don't have the books in front of me. Regardless, although I think the individual parts of the exam are generally well designed and written, I don't think they fit together as well as they should do - seperating Elementary and Intermediate would have been much more useful than adding the Foundation, I think, and there's a real failure to test productive skills.

Roddy

[JoH]

1 and 2 are for the foundation level I think, and 3 is a crossover grade - it is both the highest grade on foundation and the lowest grade on elementary.

Jo

[beijingbooty]

Basically the whole system is a mess, there appears to have been a major change in the examination system over the last few years, and now you have the situation where half of the material online complies to the old system and half to the new.

When sitting the elementary-intermediate exam you had better be well prepared for the "intermediate" components. This exam is not elementary in nature, in my opinion it is damned hard.