Level 5 to Level 6

[yialanliu]

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone knows or can estimate the difference in difficulty between level 5 and level 6 of the new HSK.

For instance, can anyone estimate what a 180 scorer on the level 6 exam would get on the level 5 exam?

I just want to know how much more studying I need to do to pass level 6. I took level 5 and got 255 and I do beleive I still have a ways to go, but not sure if it is very far.

[WestTexas]

The section on the HSK 6 where you have to choose the wrong sentence is a pain in the ass IMO...

[paotale]

219 on level 6 here, unfortunately I don't know as I have never taken the level 5 test. Here is what I understand about the differences and short commontary on them. It would help to analyze where you are on each of the three sections, whit a 255 I'm guessing you at least passed 70 in all three.

I think that the writing sections are the biggest difference though, level 6 writing is definitely harder. That said if writing is your strong suit, then you will have a good advantage in getting a good score on the 6. But if you aren't a great writer, I think that may hold you up a bit.

That said, when I've looked at some of the admissions requirements for certain majors (grad) at some Chinese universities, they often say that you need either some score (think its 240-maybe 260) on the level 5 or 180 on level 6 to be admitted. If thats the case and the correlation actually holds, then you should be able to sneak above 180 on level 6.

Finally, with regards to WestTexas' post, I think that having the right strategy for the test makes a lot of difference, esp. on the reading portion. The 找到语病 questions are generally pretty difficult. Having taken quite a few practice tests before hand, my strategy was to do those last (in fact I started with questions 80-100, then did the two stories where you add in one of 5 sentences at the right place, then the arrangement sentences before finally doing the find the error problems). Different things work for different people though.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[yialanliu]

Thanks for the help paotale.

For level 5, I scored a 95 on listening, 86 on writing, 74 on reading.

I think what I am worried about is the writing and reading. For listening I still think I should break 90+(native speaker)

I was rushed already for reading on level 5 and am now really worried about it for level 6 since the passages are already longer. At the same time, I always felt my writing was weaker than my reading and there's a huge potential to drop in that department as well.

I was thinking if I get a 90 on listening, and squeaked by with 45s on the other 2, would you think it is possible? I am currently working in China full time and have little time studying Chinese and at the same time, I really need the level 6.

[xiaoxiaocao]

Try a level 6 practice test - http://www.chinesetesting.cn/gosimexam.do

[xuefang]

Old thread so perhaps not helpful to OP, but hopefully helpful to others trying to get from HSK5 to HSK6. If there are more out there who have passed the HSK6, I would love to hear from you!

I passed HSK5 last December: Listening 89, Reading 70, Writing 76 = Total 235

I'm now planning to take the HSK6 this December, about thee months from now. From this reading mock test I got 66 points. Today I made another listening plus reading mock test and got 70 from listening, 58 from reading.

I believe that the challenges for me are following:

- Have to be fast enough in reading and writing sections

- Learn more grammar and learn how to solve the 10 找到语病 questions

- Learn more vocabulary

- Practice writing by hand so I can write characters that I know how to read

- Find a good method to memorize the article in 10 minutes without taking notes

And what I'm planning to do in order to pass:

- Handle my vocabulary learning with Skritter (mainly includes my 综合 course vocabulary), building my vocabulary through my studies should help with the HSK aswell

- Work through two HSK prepbooks, one for reading and one for writing

- And maybe something else I'm not sure right now

Any comments, ideas or tips to pass HSK6 are highly appreciated!

[WestTexas]

10 找到语病 questions

Maybe it's different on the actual test, but in the practice book I have these questions are basically impossible. I say this not because I can't solve them or understand why the answers are wrong, but because I've shown them to several Chinese and none were able to get the answers correct. After the first 2 or 3 Chinese were unable to answer and were still dumbfounded after reading the explanations in the back, I decided to type up the questions and send them to a few of the smartest Chinese people I know.

Fortunately, I didn't have to type anything. On the train, I ran into a girl who was working on her PhD at Beida. Spoke perfect English, smart as hell, we talked for hours. Anyway, I give her the book and, guess what, she picked the wrong answer for all of them. She then went on to explain each of her answers and she seemed to have very good reasons for each. She concluded that the questions were impossible because they were horribly written.

If the questions on the real test are anything like this, I'll just be bubbling in all A's for that section, or perhaps just randomly picking if I'm in the mood to do that.

If anyone else has some Chinese friends they could ask to try some of the "Choose the wrong sentence" questions, I'd be curious what the result is. If a well-educated Chinese can't answer them, something is wrong.

[imron]

What is the practice book? Is it possible that you've just purchased a really crappy one?

[外国赤佬]

I passed HSK5 with 271/300 in April, I then took an HSK6 mock test but found it overwhelmingly difficult, the gap in difficulty is very prominent. Guess I'll try again next year.

[xuefang]

@paotale After taking a more detailed look to the reading section of HSK6 I believe that it's a good method to do the easiest questions first and do the 10 sentences last. In the prep book I'm using they teach different methods to find the incorrect sentences, but it feels like there just isn't enough time to go those sentences over in a systematic way. When I did mock tests I only had time to read the sentences once and just try to answer based on my 语感 which isn't that good with 找病句.