Online mock HSK tests compared

[noah]

Hi everyone

 

I will take hsk 5 computer based version next month and have been going through mock/ past papers.

 

There seem to be 3 sets of past papers, so im kinda confused as to what to expect.

 

1set downloaded from the internet (h51001 -h51005) seem really easy. Then there are the ones from the "official examination papers" by hanban which are also fairly easy, then there some others like h51302 which are super hard. The one practice paper on the chinesetest website is real easy too.

 

Does anyone know what to expect? There seem to be 3 levels of difficulty just within the hsk 5 mock/past papers?

 

Thanks

 

Noah

[mungouk]

Hi @noah, welcome to the forums.

 

Well, difficulty is subjective isn't it? 

 

What makes you say that those particular papers are easy or hard?  Is it the vocabulary, subject matter, certain grammar points, listening part...?

 

 

[noah]

yes true, difficulty is subjective. 

 

it was the reading section. the vocab is markedly more difficult in some of the tests, with may more complex characters and topics. some of the mocks even seemed more like they were basically using hsk 4 vocabulary but in longer articles. the questions were also far easier in those. yes, it could be that its just for me, but i was wondering if anyone else had the same experience?

 

 does anyone know if the mocks downloaded online and in the "past paper books" are real past papers, or are they "samples"?

 

Noah

[noah]

i also noticed in some of the mocks there will be a passage with pretty complext characters underlined, then in the questions it will say "画线的句话最可能是什么意思“ , but in some of the other mocks this element doesnt seem to exist.

[TaxiAsh]

10 hours ago, noah said:

Hi everyone

 

I will take hsk 5 computer based version next month and have been going through mock/ past papers.

 

There seem to be 3 sets of past papers, so im kinda confused as to what to expect.

 

1set downloaded from the internet (h51001 -h51005) seem really easy. Then there are the ones from the "official examination papers" by hanban which are also fairly easy, then there some others like h51302 which are super hard. The one practice paper on the chinesetest website is real easy too.

 

Does anyone know what to expect? There seem to be 3 levels of difficulty just within the hsk 5 mock/past papers?

 

Thanks

 

Noah

 

This is the most important point...

 

What to expect?

 

Do you mean you haven't done it online before? If so, once you get your email from the examiner, it will allow you 1 free mock test 'exactly' how the exam will be, and you need to take that. Don't wait until last minute to try it, because it seems to quite sporadic in whether it works or not.

So as soon as you get a chance, do the official mock test. You have to download the software that they send you.

 

Also if any other questions about online test. there are a few threads, or ask in here, and I can answer.

 

Tip1 if taking in Winter, put the heating on before the test. haha

[noah]

hey, thanks for your comment.

 

my main concern is ive been using out of date or "fake mocks" thinking they realisticly represent the actual test. did you have much experience in this or did you find the practice and mock tests were roughly representative of the actual test?

 

Thanks

[mungouk]

I just stumbled across these youtube videos uploaded by a language school in Thailand.

 

(Playlist) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eEFD4D7iXA&list=PLkXIvHpwl4gQLKEmY1Od4hh_6AZzvvi-i

 

They show the official mock exams for HSK 1-6 being taken in real-time, using the Hanban client, but with no commentary — just general waving of the mouse pointer to direct your attention.

 

The software has probably changed slightly since these were recorded Feb-June 2020 (for example it looks like they're using the Sogou IME somehow?), but it will be largely the same.

 

 

[mungouk]

On 6/15/2020 at 12:43 AM, mungouk said:

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 now moved to http://cnhsk.org/mnks

 

 

[alantin]

Mandarin bean also has free practice tests. No scoring on the writing test except for the sentence reconstruction part.

 

https://mandarinbean.com/hsk-chinese-test-online/

[TaxiAsh]

5 hours ago, alantin said:

Mandarin bean also has free practice tests. No scoring on the writing test except for the sentence reconstruction part.

 

https://mandarinbean.com/hsk-chinese-test-online/

 

I used these. Obviously the listening one is timed (although you can stop the recording). BUT, a tip for the reading one, is get a timer and set it to the allotted time, because it isn't timed. 

I found I was passing the reading quite well, then I thought I better set a stop watch to practice time, and I was way out! haha! I had been giving myself far to long to answer them.

[alantin]

Yeah. You definitely want to time each section each time you do the test. Other wise you'll regret it in the test.