When my Mandarin Chinese students come to China and study in our program, they often think that the stressful, high-pressure days of test-taking are behind them. Not quite!

Mandarin Chinese students have goals to set and reach just as junior high and high school students do. Although in class we focus on speaking and communicating orally, the test that these students focus on in their self-study is comprised of listening, reading and writing and can be approached alone or with a tutor. So, what is this comprehensive test that Mandarin Chinese students will set their sights on? Why, it's the HSK of course!

The Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (HSK), translated from the "Chinese Proficiency Test", is China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers and learners. 

"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success"- Alexander Graham Bell

So, how can a Chinese language student prepare for the HSK, the most important evaluation of their Mandarin abilities?

First things first: Know which test level you're preparing for and know the demands of that particular level. Here is what I generally tell my students, who range from beginners to advanced:

Primary
Level 1: for students who have no or very limited prior knowledge of Chinese language and may not know basic Chinese words and phrases.
Level 2: for students who know some basic Chinese words and phrases but find it difficult to conduct with confidence some routine communication tasks in Chinese.

Intermediate
Level 3: for students who can ask and answer questions and exchange ideas and information on routine topics in predictable everyday situations.
Level 4: for students who can communicate with confidence on familiar routine and non-routine matters related to their interests and professional fields although some pauses and mistakes usually happen.

Advanced
Level 5: for students who can talk with native speakers in Chinese fluently and somewhat effectively. You have a broad active reading vocabulary, but may experience some difficulty in delivering a lengthy Chinese speech.
Level 6: for students who can understand a wide range of demanding topics, recognize implicit meanings, but still have some difficulty in expressing yourself spontaneously, and precisely.

This following chart may help you better understand what's required of your study preparation… Read more