New HSK

[roddy]

Hmmm, no 2010 dates up on the HSK.org.cn site yet . . .

I find it hard to believe they're going to fit in a whole three levels below basic and yet still keep the Elem/Int stretch as a single level. Just doesn't make sense.

[chinopinyin]

Hanban seems to be adapting to a successful model of testing languages for foreign learners with a long tradition in English, French,Spanish .... . This is certainly a big step in the good direction

Here is the correspondence between the well known English Cambidge exams for foreign learners and the new HSK.

HSK CEFR level Cambridge exam

Level 6 C2 Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

Level 5 C1 Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

Level 4 B2 First Certificate in English (FCE)

Level 3 B1 Preliminary English Test (PET)

Level 2 A2 Key English Test (KET)

Level 1 A1

... but there is still a long way to go in terms of providing information. Teaching materials are also still far away from being state of the art

[animal world]

Hmm, i had been toying with the idea of taking the Intermediate exam next year. I guess that would be level 5 under the new scheme. Does this major change mean that a chunk of the contents in the books and courses preparing for the HSK will be obsolete??? If someone discovers a link for a new format level 4 and 5 practice exams, please post it here. Thanks!

[roddy]

HSK.Org.cn now has a schedule up for the original exams for 2010 - here. Last chance to see?

[chrix]

Well, good I took the test just today under the old scheme. Depending on the results, I was gonna prepare for another go with all the appropriate books ordered from China, but it seems that I should first sit this one out though probably getting the 听力理解 exercise book might still be handy. I've got some questions:

1. So how certain are we that the new test will be introduced comprehensively also outside of China? The Confucius Institute in Hamburg was finally able to offer all levels, from basic to advanced, before they didn't have advanced, I don't think they'd be happy to do it all over again. Besides, I don't see them having the infrastructure to provide for every participant to do recordings and so on.

2. Also, renzhe's comment confused me now. What three types are we talking about? The old HSK and the new? Or do we have two new types of HSK

[roddy]

Amusingly enough, yes, we do have two new types of HSK. Truly, the Chinese examination gods have smiled upon us.

You've got the HSK（改进） from HSK.org.cn. This has been available here and there, but 汉办 were not happy about it. Given that the schedule has no 改进 exams until December 2010, I suspect they've given up and we'll see this quietly disappear.

汉办 have come back with their own update, the New HSK, which we're told will start being rolled out this month. Note that the English makes it sound like it's all happening at once, but the Chinese site has '逐步推出', which could mean anything. Then you have "From January 2010, the New HSK and New YCT test will be permanently instated, completely replacing the old test.", which begs the question of what the HSK.org.cn folks are doing with their schedule for old-style HSKs through 2010.

汉办's level of involvement with the original HSK's can be quite easily discerned from this page on their English site. We're coming up to 2010, and they still have a 2007 schedule up. HSK.org.cn can be bad, but it's rarely that bad. See here for more background.

As for your first question - not at all. I wouldn't be surprised if it's offered overseas before in China though, as the Confucius Institutes are 汉办's baby.

[chrix]

I see, it's always great if people can't agree on one standard. So we can only be happy that Taiwan's answer to the HSK was dead in the water, or we would have four of them to contend with... (I mean technically they still do exist, but there is no concrete information whatsoever how you would sit for them in Germany if you wanted to)

Yeah, the 主考 was busy taking pictures of us taking the test for 汉办, as he said. So this might very well be, but given the fact that

- they told us for listening comprehension we would supposed to have listened to the recording by headphones, but since none were available, we had to make to do with listening to an old croaking tape-recorder (maybe I'm slightly exaggerating)

- if everybody who would have signed up had shown up, there would have been not enough space to have people sit one desk apart. OK, it might be my fault, because I signed up only week ago, but my point is, they don't have the infrastructure to do anything fancy-schmancy, like the new HSK,

I still very much doubt that they could implement it easily. Maybe they could appropriate some kind of sound-lab, but this might involve some serious turf battles on campus...

Years ago, when I took the TOEFL and GRE, it was all computer-based, and the questions got progressively harder or easier based on how well you did. Wouldn't that kind of stuff be nice for the HSK

[roddy]

Lets not rush things - we need to get the listening tracks onto CD first. Then we can start worrying about computers.

Another point from the English language page about the New HSK linked above is that it specifically states the New HSK won't be offered in Korea 'this year'. This makes me wonder if they're going to face particular problems there - the Koreans are very attached to their HSK exams, and I'd imagine it must be the biggest overseas market - not to mention all the Koreans who take it in China. I think Chinese studies departments at Korean universities make an HSK 8 a condition of graduation (I may have this wrong, I'm half-remembering), and so the universities as well will be taking a very close look at any changes.

[chrix]

Well, I meant more as a joke .

So there you have it: now in Germany some departments require a 3, and in Korea they do a 6. 'nuff said.

[imron]

Then you have "From January 2010, the New HSK and New YCT test will be permanently instated, completely replacing the old test."

Uh oh. Heifeng, this could be your last chance!

[roddy]

Or things could drag on as they are for several years

[doraemon]

Wow... I'm so glad I took the advanced HSK this year. Prior to the exam, I didn't think I was ready for it, so I was thinking of having another year of preparation and taking it next year. Somehow I didn't though...don't know why but I'm glad I didn't wait. I don't really know what the new HSK would be like, but I have a feeling I would still like the old one better...

[Sarevok]

Personally, I hope that things will drag on as they are for some time... There was an elementary/intermediate exam held on our Confucius Institute just this Friday. I didn't take it, as I got my 8 earlier this year and sadly, the advanced exam is not offered as of yet. But I have been told that they plan to offer it in the future and that the head of the Confucius Institute already approved it. I started to hope again and then I found this thread, which completely ruined my day

Well, it's not that bad, I just don't like this new shiny picture-laden format... moreover, what of my bookshelf packed with prep materials for the old exam?

[renzhe]

Years ago, when I took the TOEFL and GRE, it was all computer-based, and the questions got progressively harder or easier based on how well you did. Wouldn't that kind of stuff be nice for the HSK

That is the dumbest invention EVER, and it should die a quick and conclusive death.

I hate this "intelligent test" crap. Give everyone the same test, so they are comparable. This way, one single error, one single mistake early in the test can completely ruin your entire test.

I hated it when I took the GRE. I consistently scored poorer on this intelligent crap than on the paper-based one, but they stopped offering the paper-based one.

The Confucius Institute in Hamburg was finally able to offer all levels, from basic to advanced

This is great news. I might be able to take the advanced test before leaving Hamburg. I guess I'll try to take the intermediate in April, see how I do, then see whether I try the advanced in November.

[heifeng]

Uh oh. Heifeng, this could be your last chance!

hmmm....maybe....but then again last time I thought 'it was my last chance' (somewhere around 2007) I registered for the exam two more times 'before the end of the year'...then the next year they still had it!

[chinopinyin]

Hanban has posted sample exams for the levels 3 and 4 of the new HSK. (Level 4 of the new HSK is equivalent to the Cambridge FCE)

You can check them out at

http://www.hanban.edu.cn/e21sqlimg//file/201001/fff20100104114534_1065427954.pdf

http://www.hanban.edu.cn/e21sqlimg//file/201001/fff20100104114616_703601019.pdf

There is no pinyin in the exams for levels 3 and 4, in contrast with levels 1 and 2.

For levels 1 and 2, there is very interesting information on the vocabulary and grammar you are expected to know in

http://www.confuciusinstitute.qut.edu.au/study/proficiency.jsp

Does anybody have similar information for levels 3 and 4 ?

It would also be great if somebody with an advanced Chinese level posted the answers to the written part of these sample exams

[plexus]

So we can only be happy that Taiwan's answer to the HSK was dead in the water, or we would have four of them to contend with... (I mean technically they still do exist, but there is no concrete information whatsoever how you would sit for them in Germany if you wanted to)

The Taiwanese haven't given up yet, this fell into my mailbox January 25. Seems they're starting to offer their tests abroad.

We are pleased to announce the Taiwan government offers degree scholarships and Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment scholarships to Belgians and Luxembourgians (Application deadline: March 31, 2010).

Also, the first-ever [in Belgium] Test of Proficiency – Huayu will be organized on March 28, 2010 (Registration deadline: March 1, 2010).

Further information can be found in attachment and is also available on the website

http://www.taiwanembassy.org/be

.

UPDATE : http://www.confuciusinstitute.qut.edu.au/study/proficiency.jsp (posted earlier) now has example exams and vocab lists for all 6 levels.

Edited February 26, 2010 at 06:43 PM by plexus

[gato]

Interesting. The preface in the New HSK guide explicitly says that one of the goals of the New HSK is to make the test easier, so that "non-specialized" students of Chinese can also take the exam. Maybe someone who's taken the upper level Old HSK can compare them with the new one. Level 6 on the New HSK doesn't look all that hard to me. The new essay question format seem to be just a summary of an article you are given to read rather than free response to a prompt.

[Meng Lelan]

moreover, what of my bookshelf packed with prep materials for the old exam?

Are new prep materials now available for the new exam?

[Sarevok]

Interesting. The preface in the New HSK guide explicitly says that one of the goals of the New HSK is to make the test easier, so that "non-specialized" students of Chinese can also take the exam. Maybe someone who's taken the upper level Old HSK can compare them with the new one. Level 6 on the New HSK doesn't look all that hard to me. The new essay question format seem to be just a summary of an article you are given to read rather than free response to a prompt.

Same impression here, though I don't know much about the listening section yet (regarding speed and actual content). Identifying the 病句 in the first part of the reading section could be tricky at times, as I have never spent much time doing this type of exercise, so I don't know what to look for if the mistake is not obvious at the first glance... nothing that doing some mock tests (once they are available) couldn't fix. The second part is much less challenging and the third part, where you have to insert parts of the text to their respective places is downright easy. The final part of the reading section is the same as in the good old HSK - I didn't go through all of the texts (mainly due to my laziness), only looked at the first one and the difficulty seemed on par with the standard 初中 level reading... can't say anything about the writing section until I actually try it, but writing a summary of an article doesn't seem all that difficult, certainly easier than writing your own on a given topic...