The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi 汉语水平考试 (HSK), the official Chinese Proficiency Test used in China to test Mandarin Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers such as foreign students and overseas Chinese.
The HSK test approximates the English TOEFL, and a HSK certificate is valid without any limitation in China. However, should you use it for the purpose of applying for admission to a college or university in China, they would only accept HSK scores not exceeding two years from the date you took the test.
The HSK test is a test of language proficiency for higher educational and professional purposes. In order to get admitted into university, you will need to have passed at least HSK 4 for undergraduate courses, HSK 5 for Masters and HSK 6 for PhD. In addition, a lot of jobs in and outside of China (where the hirer is a Chinese company) requires the job applicant to be fluent in Chinese. If you are a non-native speaker, then exhibiting your HSK certificate will be proof that you are in fact fluent in Chinese.
The HSK is administered solely in Mandarin and in simplified Chinese characters; however, if the exam is paper-based, the test-taker can choose to write the writing assignments in simplified or traditional characters, at their discretion.
The test can be either paper-based or Internet-based, depending on what the specific test center offers.
Test takers with outstanding results can win a scholarship for short-term language study in China.
| HSK Level | Vocabulary (New/Cumulative) | Listening test | Reading test | Writing test | Passing Mark |
| 1 | (150 / 150) | 20 questions, 15 min | 20 questions, 17 min | Not tested | 120 out of 200 |
| 2 | (150 / 300) | 35 questions, 25 min | 25 questions, 22 min | Not tested | 120 out of 200 |
| 3 | (300 / 600) | 40 questions | 30 questions | 10 items | 180 out of 300 |
| 4 | (600 / 1200) | 45 questions | 40 questions | 15 items | 180 out of 300 |
| 5 | (1300 / 2500) | 45 questions | 45 questions | 10 items | No official passing marks |
| 6 | (2500 / 5000 up) | 50 questions | 50 questions | 1 composition | No official passing marks |
To register for the HSK test or to obtain more information on the HSK Test dates, please go to http://www.chinesetest.cn/goliuchengtu.do
HSK 1 Storybook Series
HSK 2 Storybook Series
HSK 3 Storybook Series
Other HSK Books
Chinese Stories for Beginners
Chinese Classical Novels – Intermediate Reading
