How Many characters?

[boubou]

Hi, I'm starting University next week and I'm a little stressed out. I used to live/work in China, but this year I am back to study full time. I studied on my own to learn how to read and write, and I'm doing pretty good. As for speaking, I can keep up basic every day conversations and keep in touch with Chinese friends who don't speak English...

That being said. I have a placement exam next monday and I'm afraid they'll stick me into the beginers 1 class. How many characters would I need to know to be able to be in beginers 2? What are the odds they'll put me up a group if I ask?

**I study at 重庆大学

[jiangping]

In my (relatively limited) experience, placement tests are usually multiple choice and don't require you to write anything. Also, I wouldn't really worry about how many individual characters you know in isolation, but how many words you know.

[boubou]

Actually, I asked a few friends and they all told me the placement test was a questionaire. Basicly they ask for simple things (name, adress, date, etc) to start with, and then it gets more complicated. Favourit foods, sports, stuff you do in you free time, talk about your family, talk about your old school, feild of study, etc. Personally I can answer all those questions oraly, but written wise is another question... But yeah, words are better than characters at this point. Thanks.

[muyongshi]

I don't know anything about a placement test but what I think would work is just go find the teacher, have one of those conversations like you'd have with your Chinese friends and then ask if you should be put in a higher class. Just showing them your level would probably get some better results.