zhc

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi

The Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì abbreviated as HSK, is the People's Republic of China's only standardized test of Standard Mandarin Chinese proficiency for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese, and members of ethnic minority groups in China. It is also known as the "Chinese Proficiency Test" and the "Chinese TOEFL."

Background

Development began in 1984 at Beijing Language and Culture University and in 1992 the HSK was officially made a national standardized test. By 2005, over 120 countries had participated as regular host sites, and around 1 million had taken the test. 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. Generally, according to the test's current (and original) format, a rank of 6 is needed to enroll in a Chinese university as an undergraduate. A score of 9 or higher is 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 have the chance to win a scholarship for a short-term language study in China.

Current structure

Ranking

Test Rank (等第)	Chars/Words	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	2	Basic A
		1	Basic B
		-	none
_{Generally signifies a professional level. *Generally required for non-language academic programs.}

There are currently 11 possible ranks (1-11) and 3 test formats (Basic, Elementary/Intermediate, and Advanced). A revision of the test is underway, and is discussed below.

A student taking the Basic test (基础HSK) may attain a rank of 1 through 3 (1级-3级) or fail to meet requirements and not receive a rank. The Elementary/Intermediate test (初中等HSK) covers ranks 3-8 (3级-8级), and ranks below 3 are not considered. Likewise, the Advanced test (高等HSK) covers 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."

Test dates and locations

The HSK is held in China and at designated test sites 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.

Content

The current format for both Basic and Elementary/Intermediate HSK includes 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 are completely multiple-choice. The Advanced HSK however, adds an additional two portions: spoken and written.

Complete vocabulary lists, previous tests, and simulated tests are available as preparation materials.

2007 Revision

The Beijing Language and Culture University HSK Center announced it was developing a revised format for the test in 2006. The new format will be completely adopted by the end of 2008.

Test Rank (等第)	Score (级别)	Certificate
Revised HSK Structure (not yet in effect)
HSK Advanced	6	Advanced with Honors
	5	Advanced
	-	none
HSK Intermediate	4	Intermediate with Honors
	3	Intermediate
	-	none
HSK Elementary	2	Elementary with Honors
	1	Elementary
	-	none

The new format seeks to place the emphasis on "comprehensive language ability and communication ability". The most visible differences will be 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 will reduce the three test formats to Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each level will have two possible passing grades: "acceptable" and "with honors." .