HSK computer exam

[rmpalpha]

I took the level 3 HSK exam (new version) in San Francisco this morning. I was expecting a paper test, but it seems that the format is now an "online" version so the test was on the computers in the language lab at San Francisco State University.

I can't really comment on the listening portion of the test as I'm deaf (I had a transcript for the audio recordings, which was very nice indeed). The timing of the questions is all done by the computer - once you've run out of time, it moves on to the next question automatically. Because I read much faster than people presumably speak, I had to wait until the recording finished for each question before the test would advance to the next question. They give you five minutes at the end to review/check your answers before moving on to the reading section, but I don't know if that means that they will replay the recordings for you for a given question. You can use the whole five minutes (or none) if you like - if you click on "end section", you can't go back.

The reading section is pretty straightforward - they allow you to move back and forth through all forty questions as needed. I finished about 5-7 minutes early, and was able to end the reading section so that I could move on to the writing section. This decision is also irreversible - when you decide to end the reading section, you cannot go back.

The "writing" section is also done by computer, and they give you the option of several input methods (zhuyin, pinyin, wubi, cangjie, and a couple of others I didn't recognize). It took me a couple of minutes to get used to the keyboard input, but there are only 10 questions over 15 minutes, so I had plenty of time to get adjusted. One problem I had was not knowing the correct pinyin for one of the words in the sentences (even though I knew the meaning and the character), so I had to make several guesses based on the phonetic radical of the character. If time were an issue, I would have skipped this question. Also, since this is a level 3 test, the latter five questions give you the pinyin of the word that is missing from the sentence, making typing the character super easy - I don't know why they did this; perhaps they were trying to emulate the paper version of the test, which has the same thing.

Overall, I didn't have any problems with the computer interface. One minor complaint I have is (being a Mac person) that the Chinese characters on a Windows screen can be difficult for me to read. I suppose that, if you're used to a PC, it's less of a problem. It was a good experience for me to take the test online as (1) I didn't have to wait around for the time to lapse on a given section; (2) There's no need to transfer the answers to an answer sheet (and risk an error in that process); and (3) The test graders don't have to read my awful Chinese handwriting

[icebear]

Thanks for that report.

Anyone know if computer input is standard for higher levels of the test (HSK5-6 in particular)? I'm all for practicing handwriting, but being able to type the essay would sure reduce some of the rush/stress/cramped-hand (I think). My guess is that handwriting is expected at higher levels...?

[yialanliu]

Wow, that's awesome. I would love to take the HSK 6 on the computer rather than paper based.

[rmpalpha]

I saw one person take the HSK level 5 test on the computer in front of me (and several others were taking level 4) - but I wasn't really paying attention to what the other test takers were doing around me. I guess the major advantage of having a computer-based test is that the testing center can do all HSK level tests at once (since there is an individual listening portion for each level).

[yialanliu]

Need someone to double check this, but registering for HSK seems to have a lot less test sites than before (especially in China)? Would that be due to the computer lab requirement now you think? Or maybe I am worng and there isn't a change in the number of testing sites?

[roddy]

Make sure you're looking at the right HSK. But given the turbulent history of the last few years there could well be fewer test centers overall.

Thanks for the write-up, and good luck for the results.

[rmpalpha]

yialanliu: I agree with you that there are much fewer test sites than before. I think this may be related to the availability of computer labs, as you suggest. I've been corresponding with the San Francisco State University Confucius Institute, and they have told me that they have not yet determined the dates for when they will be offering their tests for the rest of this year. Because of this, I can't register for the Level 4 test for later this year since SFSU is not one of the options listed on the registration website. So, other testing centers could still be in the process of determining when/how often they will be offering the various HSK tests as well.

[hibicc]

Computer based HSK exam: BICC is the only institute other than Hanban which can set up computer based HSK testing center. BICC will add 37 more Computer HSK testing site worldwide by the end of this year.

Click here : http://hibicc.com/services.php?catid=45 to take computer based HSK practice test.

北京国际汉语学院

[edelweis]

Actually I am not sure there are that many computer based testing centres right now.

Below is a list of testing centres with the 网考 tag I grabbed today from chinesetesting.cn, I counted only 37 out of 562 worldwide - none of them are in Europe. (Of course, perhaps some computer testing centres do not have the 网考 tag...)

@hibicc: do you have a list of those 37 new computer testing centres you're going to open?

List of HSK testing centres with （网考）from chinesetesting.cn as of 18 May 2012:

中国 上海 北京国际汉语学院-上海中医药大学（网考）

中国 上海 北京国际汉语学院-上海浦西区（网考）

中国 上海 华东师范大学第二附属中学（网考）

中国 九江 孔子学院远程教育中心-九江学院（网考）

中国 北京 北京国际汉语学院-北京二十一世纪国际学校（网考）

中国 北京 北京国际汉语学院-北京拔萃国际学校（网考）

中国 北京 北京国际汉语学院-石油化工学院（网考）

中国 北京 孔子学院远程教育中心-北京中医药大学（网考）

中国 北京 孔子学院远程教育中心-中国政法大学（网考）

中国 北京 孔子学院远程教育中心-北京交通大学（网考）

中国 南京 孔子学院远程教育中心-南京医科大学（网考）

中国 呼和浩特 孔子学院远程教育中心-内蒙古大学（网考）

中国 哈尔滨 孔子学院远程教育中心-哈尔滨工程大学（网考）

中国 哈尔滨 孔子学院远程教育中心-哈尔滨工业大学（网考）

中国 天津 北京国际汉语学院-天津英华国际学校（网考）

中国 山东 孔子学院远程教育中心-山东理工大学（网考）

中国 张家口 孔子学院远程教育中心-河北北方学院（网考）

中国 徐州 孔子学院远程教育中心-中国矿业大学（网考）

中国 杭州 北京国际汉语学院-浙江外国语学院（网考）

中国 武汉 孔子学院远程教育中心-武汉理工大学（网考）

中国 武汉 华中师范大学国际文化交流学院（网考）

中国 秦皇岛 孔子学院远程教育中心-河北燕山大学（网考）

中国 芜湖 孔子学院远程教育中心芜湖-安徽师范大学（网考）

中国 镇江 孔子学院远程教育中心-江苏大学（网考）

中国 青岛 孔子学院远程教育中心-中国石油大学（华东）（网考）

美国 Denver 美国丹佛社区大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 Texas 美国得克萨斯A&M大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 阿克伦 美国阿克伦大学孔子学院（网考）

美国 美国北卡罗莱纳州立大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 美国俄克拉荷马大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 美国旧金山州立大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 美国俄勒冈大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 美国西密歇根大学孔子学院(网考)

美国 美国特拉华大学孔子学院(网考)

印度尼西亚 雅加达 印度尼西亚利亚—WARA教育集团（网考）

加拿大 加拿大高高贵林孔子学院(网考)

加拿大 加拿大圣力嘉孔子学院(网考)

[prateeksha]

I am going to appear for HSK 5 at the 地球村 centre in 五道口。HSK 5 includes a writing section - to write an 80-word passage which includes five given phrases and to write an 80-word passage on the photograph provided. I have been doing practice papers and the writing section usually gets finished in incredibly short time [all thanks to typing].

[edelweis]

Prateeksha, on the chinesetesting.cn website, what is the name is your testing center? Does it have 网考?

By the way I think I missed some centres earlier, apparently some have the 网考 tag earlier in their name. I'll try to correct that later.

[prateeksha]

edelweis, I am not sure about this. When I was in the process of finding out the nearest HSK centre, I found 清华大学 [which for that matter is not offering 网考 at the moment]. My other classmates who have recently taken HSK told me about 地球村，so I called up to inquire and found out that they indeed have the 网考. Not sure if they are mentioned in the list.

[edelweis]

Thanks Prateeksha

[hibicc]

Dont have the final list but our target is to open at least one testing center in the capital of these countries by the end of March 2013 :

Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Thailand, India, UAE, Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic and Singapore

[edelweis]

Thanks. It is good to know that computerized testing is reaching Europe finally...

[Helios]

I just want to confirm what prateeksha said: 地球村 in 五道口 does indeed offer the 网考试, but I want to clarify that the 地球村 is simply allowing people to enroll in the computer exam--the exam is not actually hosted at their facility--they are simply an intermiediary. I signed up at 地球村, but my exam will be at 北京广播电视大学. Anyone in 五道口 can enroll at 地球村, and when the test date approaches, they will have to return to 地球村 to get their 准考证.

[Edvard Månsson]

Any news on the Europe 网考 test centres? Particularily interested in Sweden

[Koxinga]

I think there was one in London the last time I checked.

[tooironic]

I just spoke to the person who is in charge of administering HSK tests in Melbourne and they told me that all HSK testing centres in Australia offer pen-and-paper HSK exams only, can someone confirm or deny this?

[Edvard Månsson]

Yes, there doesn't seem to be any computer tests in Australia yet. (I checked on www.chinesetest.cn)