Online mock HSK tests compared

[mungouk]

I'm not sure how new this is, but the Hanban site offers mock tests, and for HSK 4 and above the real writing parts actually get marked (presumably by humans).

 

Instructions are here: http://www.chinesetest.cn/gonewcontent.do?id=42667146

 

Although it says "for PC", it's browser-based and so presumably works on any platform.  There's also a mobile version.

 

For the "writing" part of the test (I tried HSK 4) you can use the IME on your own machine, which gives a certain advantage when it's predicting pairs of characters.

 

You have to pay 20 RMB to get an admission ticket and a 4-digit PIN... it all looks very like the computer-based test I took in Shanghai 2 years ago. I paid with WeChat.

 

The instructions said you might have to wait up to a week for the human-marked part to come through, but I did a test yesterday and got my result through within 24 hours.

 

Apart from the actual score you get this fancy breakdown of how you performed, which I haven't managed to decypher yet (this is the example from the link above).  You also get a mock certificate!

 

 

 

Here are some screenshots. That last one in particular makes me think that this is the actual test system that has been used in some centres. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mungouk]

In contrast to the paid-for Hanban test mentioned above, there is also some newer, Windows-only software that runs on your computer, which they have been offering for download for the "at home" HSK exams during the COVID-19 lockdown period. (A long discussion of that is in another thread.)

 

Instructions for downloading and using this new software are here on WeChat (in Chinese, but makes sense through Google Translate): https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/em0cz7QWjjHemeOYBI3t_g

 

When you start the software it downloads a test to your computer and you can begin.  Apparently on the day of the real test it will download the real test.

 

The writing parts of this mock test don't get marked, but then again it is free.  It tells you your score immediately at the end.

 

Unlike the test above, the IME for this test is built into the software. It's pretty clunky and I didn't work out how to type more than one character at a time... this is probably deliberate to prevent the IME from giving you any clues.  However, the characters are small and pixellated, and on a small screen I found it needs extra care to avoid entering a character with the wrong radical if they have the same pinyin spelling.

 

(Yes, I'm aware of the mistakes here.)

 

Unlike other sites I've found, this software also offers the option of taking a mock HSKK oral exam, although since this can't be graded it's more of an opportunity to get a feel for how it works.

 

I've no idea at present whether the mock test part will continue to work after the next set of real exams... we shall see.

 

Again, from the last screenshot here, it does seem as though this software is intended to be used in test centres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mungouk]

Finally there are also these mock tests hosted by "Silk Road International Education Center" in Beijing. They have the Hanban logo on them (and the whole website's favicon is even the Hanban logo) but I've no idea how "official" these are.

 

http://cnhsk.org/mk

 

(These have been around for at least a couple of years, and they used to be on a different site http://mnks.chinesebridge.com.cn/Mnks/Simulate/DefaultNew.aspx which is now defunct.) 

 

You have to register, but again they are free and you don't get a grade for the non-multiple-choice parts.

 

The interface is different again from the tests mentioned above, as you can see. This site also lets you enter hanzi using your own IME.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Milkybar_Kid]

Excellent write-up! I didn't realise the official practice tests were so cheap at RMB20.

[mungouk]

9 minutes ago, Milkybar_Kid said:

I didn't realise the official practice tests were so cheap at RMB20.

 

Yes... if they do actually mark the HSK 5 and HSK 6 writing sections properly, then that's pretty good value I think!

 

Apparently it's a special offer price until June 2021.

 

 

[7800]

6 hours ago, mungouk said:

for HSK 4 and above the real writing parts actually get marked

Now we're talking. For only 20RMB I'm definitely gonna give it a try

 

16 minutes ago, mungouk said:

it's a special offer price until June 2021

I wonder whether they'll update the platform to include the New HSK as an option, or the current HSK will remain relevant for as long as June 2021.

[mungouk]

Maybe they just decided that‘s a 12-month 打折 starting from now, but who knows?

 

Definitely a step in the right direction though. 

 

[道艺]

When I did hsk4 in center it looked similar if not the same to the first one you posted about. 

 

cnhsk's 模拟考试 gives like 8 or so 卷子 per level so it's great material. In preparation for 4, I did all of the prepared tests and went over results with my then teacher. And now for 5 this week, I've been going through all screenshots I took while taking it and been putting together some study materials accordingly. Definitely a great resource. 

[TaxiAsh]

I'm sure everyone has got their own tests and mocks to look at,

 

but i found this quite good,

 

listening, questions and answers https://www.confuciusinstitute.manchester.ac.uk/study/testing/hsk/hsk-learning-resources/

[mungouk]

How are you doing with the HSK 2 vocab @TaxiAsh? 

[TaxiAsh]

14 hours ago, mungouk said:

How are you doing with the HSK 2 vocab @TaxiAsh? 

 

Hi, not great,

 

Although doing the mocks is ok, I still can't find the transcripts, so the later questions that are quite long are hard to listen to.

 

I did find this on youtube, and although it's not the most professional youtuber, I think these are the same types of statements, and reading them is easy. I understand them (in text form!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCmcV7Tf5AI

 

 

How about you, are you doing much studying for 4? If so what are you using?

[TaxiAsh]

15 hours ago, mungouk said:

How are you doing with the HSK 2 vocab @TaxiAsh? 

Another quick question, in the reading tests, they are in blocks of 5, and in the mocks you don'#t necessary have to do them in order (multi choice ones), is this the same in the exam, or do you have to do them 1 by 1?

[mungouk]

Yes I'm trying to study every day at the moment... might as well!

• Drilling vocab with Tofulearn, and occasionally StickyStudy (I like the interface that lets you browse all the cards, pan and zoom).
• I've done 3 mock tests so far, need to do more.
• Going over grammar questions and refining exam technique with my teacher, 3 lessons per week.
• Did the last part of the Peking University Coursera HSK 4 course... weeks 7-10 specifically talk about exam technique and there are mini-exercises to practice (this was useful)

You might want to have a look at PU's HSK 2 course on Coursera?  I don't know how good it is but you can sign up for free and just skip the annoying offers to upgrade to a "certificate" course for £40.

 

[mungouk]

7 minutes ago, TaxiAsh said:

is this the same in the exam, or do you have to do them 1 by 1?

 

I don't know... If you do a mock test using the ExamClient software you should be able to check it out.

 

I'm pretty sure the software lets you move back and forth within a section, but you can't move to other sections.

 

Btw, on transcripts... I have a few HSK 2 tests here (PDF and MP3) with the answers and transcripts, but they're all in hanzi with no pinyin. I'm not sure how useful that is to you at the moment, but I can certainly let you have them.

[TaxiAsh]

6 minutes ago, mungouk said:

Btw, on transcripts... I have a few HSK 2 tests here (PDF and MP3) with the answers and transcripts, but they're all in hanzi with no pinyin. I'm not sure how useful that is to you at the moment, but I can certainly let you have them.

well im upto 270 of the 300 charcters in HSK2 (using tofu) so it might be good!

 

I'm just going through some mock tests now,

 

and the ones where you have to match the sentences in the last part is very tough! Some of them I see little relation too at all! haha! even translating them!

[mungouk]

OK the HSK 2 tests are here on google drive (132MB ZIP)... there are only 5 of them. I do have others but they don't have the transcripts.

 

Actually, I just opened one of the PDFs in the "Reader" built into Pleco and that works really nicely on an iPad, see screen grab below. It would also work on a phone but might be fiddly unless you have a big screen. 

 

Alternatively you can select the text on your computer and copy-paste to google translate. 

 

 

 

[TaxiAsh]

I know we all look for different sources,

 

but I thought I'd share this guy. His hsk2 ones are a bit scatty... but i posted improvement opions and he replied that the ones I'm watching are old.

 

I quite like this guy. Unlike most instruction films, I think he explains things well  . so will share HSK4 films. https://youtu.be/1hES2vT3AhA

[mungouk]

Thanks @TaxiAsh!  I haven't seen this channel before. From a brief look I like his clear voice and his explanations. 

 

Personally, I already went through all the HSK 4 Standard Course textbooks and workbooks with my own teacher, but I'm sure others could find this useful.

[TaxiAsh]

9 minutes ago, mungouk said:

Thanks @TaxiAsh!  I haven't seen this channel before. From a brief look I like his clear voice and his explanations. 

 

Personally, I already went through all the HSK 4 Standard Course textbooks with my own teacher, but I'm sure others could find this useful.

 

 

No I don't think he has many followers, perhaps new, ... there are so many channels! hence why I shared, as if anyone finds good channels, I like to hear about them...

 

I found this randomly just from looking as many hsk2 things as possible...  he clearly kept altering things... and he answered my youtube post in less than a minute!! ** (I'll post link) I'm taxi ash on youtube too.., I like this. He explains things, and uses other examples or similar sentences. I like this.

 

https://youtu.be/sHQO9Woh_ms - see comments, he answered, and why i posted in here as I know you are doing hsk4

[PHOU KIETHSENG]

I know this is a bit irrelevant but I wanted to know how is mock test compare to the real examination in term of difficulty? I took mock test in chinesetest.cn one three times and I've done pretty well but I got no idea about the actual difficulty of real examination.