Hànyu Shuipíng Kaoshì
Encyclopedia
The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, , abbreviated as HSK, is the People's Republic of China
's only standardized test of Standard Chinese
language proficiency
for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese
, and members of ethnic minority groups in China. It translates literally to "Chinese Proficiency Test".
and in 1992 the HSK was officially made a national
standardized test
. By 2005, over 120 countries had participated as regular host sites and the tests had been taken around 100 million times (including by domestic ethnic minority candidates). The general count for outside China is stated as being around 1.9 million. While today one may register online, all testing is still done in person, and all assessment is still handled within China.
The HSK test approximates the English TOEFL
, and an HSK certificate is valid without any limitation in The People's Republic of China. The test aims to be a certificate of language proficiency
for higher educational
and professional
purposes. Based on the test's original (pre-2010) format, a rank of between 3 and 8 was needed to enroll in a Chinese university, depending on the subject being studied. A score of 9 or higher was a common business standard .
Each year HSK certificates are issued to those who meet required scores. The HSK is primarily administered in Simplified Chinese. In addition test takers with outstanding results can win a scholarship for short-term language study in China.
The new format's emphasis is "comprehensive language and communication ability". Most notable is the inclusion of spoken and written segments at all levels (not just Advanced), reformation of the ranking system, and use of new question structures.
The new ranking system reduces the three test formats to Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each level has two sub-levels: "acceptable" and "with honors."
Hanban also provides examples of the exam for the different levels together with a list of words that need to be known for each level. Currently this page is only available in Chinese. These examples are also available (together with the audio for the Listening Test) on the website of the Confucius Institute
at QUT.
A student taking the Basic test (基础HSK) could attain a rank of 1 through 3 (1级-3级), or fail to meet requirements and thus not receive a rank. The Elementary/Intermediate test (初中等HSK) covered ranks 3-8 (3级-8级), with ranks below 3 not considered. Likewise, the Advanced test (高等HSK) covered ranks 9-11 (9级-11级), with scores below 9 not considered.
It is not uncommon to simply refer to a standard or level of proficiency by the HSK level number, or "score." For example, a job description
might ask for foreign applicants with "HSK5 or better."
Complete vocabulary lists, previous tests, and simulated tests are available as preparation materials.
New HSK list (2010)
Old HSK list
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's only standardized test of Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
language proficiency
Language proficiency
Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency, there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it...
for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
, and members of ethnic minority groups in China. It translates literally to "Chinese Proficiency Test".
Background, purpose and use
Development began in 1984 at Beijing Language and Culture UniversityBeijing Language and Culture University
Beijing Language and Culture University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beiyu , has the main aim of teaching the Chinese language and culture to foreign students. However, it also takes Chinese students specializing in foreign languages and other relevant subjects of humanities and social...
and in 1992 the HSK was officially made a national
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
standardized test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
. By 2005, over 120 countries had participated as regular host sites and the tests had been taken around 100 million times (including by domestic ethnic minority candidates). The general count for outside China is stated as being around 1.9 million. While today one may register online, all testing is still done in person, and all assessment is still handled within China.
The HSK test approximates the English TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....
, and an HSK certificate is valid without any limitation in The People's Republic of China. The test aims to be a certificate of language proficiency
Language proficiency
Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories vary among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency, there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it...
for higher educational
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
purposes. Based on the test's original (pre-2010) format, a rank of between 3 and 8 was needed to enroll in a Chinese university, depending on the subject being studied. A score of 9 or higher was a common business standard .
| Revised HSK Structure | |||
| Test Rank (等第) |
Chars/Words (cumulative) |
Score (级别) |
Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK Advanced |
Characters: 2633 Words: 5000 |
6 | Advanced with Honors Designed for learners who can easily understand any information communicated in Chinese and are capable of smoothly expressing themselves in written or oral form. |
| Characters: 1709 Words: 2500 |
5 | Advanced Designed for learners who can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, watch Chinese films and are capable of writing and delivering a lengthy speech in Chinese. |
|
| HSK Intermediate |
Characters: 1071 Words: 1200 |
4 | Intermediate with Honors Designed for learners who can discuss a relatively wide range of topics in Chinese and are capable of communicating with Chinese speakers at a high standard. |
| Characters: 623 Words: 600 |
3 | Intermediate Designed for learners who can use Chinese to serve the demands of their personal lives, studies and work, and are capable of completing most of the communicative tasks they experience during their Chinese tour. |
|
| HSK Elementary |
Characters: 349 Words: 300 |
2 | Elementary with Honors Designed for learners who can use Chinese in a simple and direct manner, applying it in a basic fashion to their daily lives. |
| Characters: 178 Words: 150 |
1 | Elementary Designed for learners who can understand and use some simple Chinese characters and sentences to communicate, and prepares them for continuing their Chinese studies. |
|
Each year HSK certificates are issued to those who meet required scores. The HSK is primarily administered in Simplified Chinese. In addition test takers with outstanding results can win a scholarship for short-term language study in China.
Current Structure
Hanban (中国国家对外汉语教学领导小组办公室 (shortened: 国家汉办); China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (Hanban)) is currently responsible for the HSK exams and introduced a new format in November 2009.The new format's emphasis is "comprehensive language and communication ability". Most notable is the inclusion of spoken and written segments at all levels (not just Advanced), reformation of the ranking system, and use of new question structures.
The new ranking system reduces the three test formats to Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each level has two sub-levels: "acceptable" and "with honors."
Hanban also provides examples of the exam for the different levels together with a list of words that need to be known for each level. Currently this page is only available in Chinese. These examples are also available (together with the audio for the Listening Test) on the website of the Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are sometimes compared to language and culture promotion organizations such as France's...
at QUT.
Ranking
Formerly, there were 11 possible ranks (1-11) and 3 test formats (Basic, Elementary/Intermediate, and Advanced).| Test Rank (等第) | Chars/Words (cumulative) |
Score (级别) | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK Advanced |
Characters: 2865 Words: 8840 |
11 | Advanced A |
| 10 | Advanced B | ||
| 9 | Advanced C* | ||
| - | none | ||
| HSK Elementary/ Intermediate |
Characters: 2194 Words: 5257 |
8 | Intermediate A |
| 7 | Intermediate B | ||
| 6 | Intermediate C | ||
| Characters: 1603 Words: 3052 |
5 | Elementary A | |
| 4 | Elementary B | ||
| 3 | Elementary C** | ||
| - | none | ||
| HSK Basic |
Characters: 800 Words: 1033 |
3 | Basic A |
| 2 | Basic B | ||
| 1 | Basic C | ||
| - | none | ||
| *Generally signifies a professional level. **Generally required for non-language academic programs. |
|||
A student taking the Basic test (基础HSK) could attain a rank of 1 through 3 (1级-3级), or fail to meet requirements and thus not receive a rank. The Elementary/Intermediate test (初中等HSK) covered ranks 3-8 (3级-8级), with ranks below 3 not considered. Likewise, the Advanced test (高等HSK) covered ranks 9-11 (9级-11级), with scores below 9 not considered.
It is not uncommon to simply refer to a standard or level of proficiency by the HSK level number, or "score." For example, a job description
Job description
A job description is a list that a person might use for general tasks, or functions, and responsibilities of a position. It may often include to whom the position reports, specifications such as the qualifications or skills needed by the person in the job, or a salary range...
might ask for foreign applicants with "HSK5 or better."
Content
The previous format for both Basic and Elementary/Intermediate HSK included four sections: listening comprehension, grammar structures, reading comprehension, and written expressions. Aside from written expressions portion (which requires writing of chinese characters), these two tests were completely multiple-choice. The Advanced HSK however, added an additional two portions: spoken and written.Complete vocabulary lists, previous tests, and simulated tests are available as preparation materials.
Test dates and locations
The HSK is held at designated test sites in China and abroad. A list of test sites can be found at the HSK website. Test dates are published annually, and while a test date often includes more than one format, all three rarely overlap. The Advanced HSK occurs only twice per year. It is held by the JNFLS (济南外国语学校).See also
- TOP (test) - an HSK-like test in use in TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
- ZHC (test)ZHC (test)ZHC is a test held by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China to test the Mandarin Chinese ability of Chinese citizens....
- a professional Chinese language ability exam for People's Republic of China citizens - List of language proficiency tests - a list of proficiency tests in other languages
External links
New HSK list (2010)
- HSK Resources from bizpanda.org HSK Advanced Reading- Questions and Answers
- New HSK Lists downloadable lists of complete HSK vocabulary at all levels
- 2010 HSK list of characters with stroke order, from Nciku.com
- HSKpedia: Online Tests and other
- A critical statement of the German Association of Chinese Teachers on the new HSK (in German, Chinese and English)
Old HSK list
- HSK Flashcards: free online flashcards preloaded with HSK vocabulary
- Practice HSK-Basic Tests
- HSK Vocabulary: online and downloadable lists of complete HSK vocabulary at all levels
- Searchable Text Database of Complete HSK Vocabulary
- Multi-format Free HSK Flash Cards