While trying to find a job or advancing your career as a worker in Singapore, there are many occasions where knowing Chinese is obligatory. Many companies, especially multinational companies, seek for employees with HSK certificates to prove their proficiency in Mandarin. If you’re currently looking to expand your career further, taking the HSK test might be suitable for you. However, it is important to familiarise yourself with the test format, levels, and basic learning method before taking the test. In this article, we will discuss the what, why, and how to learn the HSK test to help you with your career growth as a worker in Singapore. 

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The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, or better known as HSK, is one of the most popular assessments used to measure your proficiency in learning Mandarin as a second language. This test will usually consist of listening, reading, and writing (for HSK 3 and above). There is also a separate test to test your oral skill, where you will be recording your answers to be evaluated later. We will discuss the test differences for each level in a later section. The HSK test usually lasts around 40-210 minutes depending on which level you are taking. To be able to take this test, you need to register yourself beforehand. Here’s a quick guide on how to register yourself and take the HSK test.

Prepare The Documents

Before registering to take the HSK test, the first thing you need to do is prepare any documents that might be necessary upon registration. Usually, you will need to prepare valid identification documents such as student ID, National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) or passport. Aside from providing valid identification documents, you should also prepare a passport-sized photo (30 mm x 40 mm) which shows your clear face without any head accessory. 

Find Nearest Centre and Register

The HSK test registration now can be done online by finding the respective HSK website near your area. Usually, different nations or regions will have different test centers so it is advised to find the nearest one within your area. While submitting your registration form, you should recheck any information you’ve inputted, such as name, address, contact details, and the level you’re planning to apply for. 

Finish Payment

Before getting an email to confirm your position in the test, you need to complete your payment. Usually, this will be done before you can submit the form. Each level of the HSK test will have a different amount you need to pay. In Singapore, this payment can usually be done through Paynow/Paylah. After completing payment, you will receive an admission ticket through your email one week before your test date. 

Take the Test 

There are a few items that you need to bring on the day of your HSK test. Documents such as your ID card/passport and admission ticket are mandatory to bring. Failing to bring one of these documents will result in the inability to participate in the test. For paper-based exams, you should also bring your own 2B pencil and eraser. 

Once you’ve completed the HSK test, you will need to wait approximately one month before you can check your result. After checking your result, you can also request for a printed HSK certificate as a proof for your proficiency in Mandarin. 

If you’re new to the HSK test, the many levels might be confusing for you. The old version of HSK has 6 different levels, with HSK level 1 test being the easiest one and is aimed for beginners. However, HSK tests recently expanded further and now have 9 levels in total. In this section, we will discuss each HSK level to help you find the best one for you. 

HSK 1

This level is suitable for beginners who are just starting to learn Mandarin. At this level, you are expected to be able to understand simple sentences and phrases. HSK level consists of listening and reading sections, with a total time of 40 minutes to complete the test. At this level, exam takers should master around 150 Chinese words. 

HSK 2

This level is usually considered suitable for beginners as HSK 1 and HSK 2 usually still use Pinyin to help exam takers understand the context of Chinese characters. HSK 2 usually consists of listening and reading sections with a total of 55 minutes to complete the test. At this level, exam takers should master around 300 Chinese words and are expected to be able to understand conversational Mandarin surrounding daily topics. 

HSK 3

This level is classified as an intermediate level. HSK 2 usually consists of listening, reading, and writing which take about 90 minutes to complete. Aside from taking this test, you can also take a beginner oral/speaking test during this level which takes about 20 minutes to finish. At this level, exam takers should master around 600 Chinese words and are expected to be able to manage most communication while traveling in China. 

HSK 4

This level is classified as an intermediate level which consists of listening, reading and writing sections. To complete all sections, you need around 105 minutes. During this level, you can also take an intermediate oral exam which takes around 23 minutes to complete. At this level, exam takers will master at least 1200 Chinese words and communicate with native speakers smoothly. 

HSK 5

This level is considered to be an advanced level which consists of listening, reading, and writing sections. Completing all sections will take around 125 minutes. During this level, you can also measure your oral/speaking skills by taking an advanced oral exam which needs 25 minutes to accomplish. At this level, exam takers should understand at least 2500 Chinese words and are expected to be able to understand written text (newspaper, magazines), enjoy Chinese media, and write a full text in Mandarin. 

HSK 6

This level is classified as an advanced level which consists of listening, reading, and writing sections. Completing all 3 sections of  HSK 6 will take approximately 140 minutes. Similar to its previous level, HSK 6 takers can also measure their ability to speak Mandarin by taking the advanced oral exam. At this level, exam takers should master at least 5000 Chinese words and are expected to be able to communicate smoothly in both written and spoken circumstances. 

HSK 7-9

These new HSK levels are dedicated to scholars, sinologists, and university students who study Chinese language and literature. If you’re just looking to measure your fluency in Mandarin, taking HSK level 1-6 should be enough to assess your ability. HSK 7-9 consists of 98 questions and takes around 210 minutes to complete. The HSK 7-9 test will measure your ability through five sections: listening, reading, writing, translation, and speaking. 

As previously stated, taking the HSK test can help you with both academic and career advancement. Usually, you need a different level of HSK certification depending on your goal. Some rising questions that you want to ask may include things like: Which HSK level test should I take to help me with my job? In this article, we will discuss how the HSK test can help you with academic and career advancement.

Academic Requirement

If you’re aiming to register into a university in China, especially with scholarship, having a HSK certificate can help enhance your chances of getting accepted. A few scholarships, such as the Confucius Institute Scholarship (CIS) require each student to understand at least HSK 3 to be able to register. Furthermore, those who are registering for Chinese taught degree programs should also submit HSK certificates to prove their ability in understanding Mandarin. To apply for a bachelor degree, students should at least have a HSK 4 certificate. On the other hand, students who plan to apply for a master’s degree should acquire a HSK 5 certificate. 

Career Growth 

When it comes to requirements for work, each company usually has its own preferences for HSK levels. However, the standard minimum that most companies use as a requirement for new employees is HSK 4. A HSK 4 certificate is demanded for several jobs since workers on this level should be able to hold a conversation with native speakers. However, it is recommended for employees to master at least HSK 5 to help them have a better grasp on both verbal and written interaction with other parties.  

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Learning HSK before taking the test is an important step to ensure that you can get a satisfying score. Learning Chinese through HSK tests is completely different from learning solely for business purposes where you can conduct self assessment to prove your fluency. In HSK tests, you need to actually answer questions and complete all sections of the test. For some people, taking a formal exam can be a bit overwhelming. The good news is, learning the HSK test can be done effectively with the right method. Here’s a quick guide on how to learn Chinese to take the HSK test. 

Understand the Structure

The first thing you need to focus on is to familiarize yourself with the test structure. As previously mentioned, HSK usually consists of different sections that you need to complete. If you’re taking a beginner level HSK (level 1 or 2), you can focus on listening and reading. On the other hand, if you’re taking a higher level, you should also consider learning to complete the writing section. Aside from knowing the sections, it is also important to know how much time each section lasts. 

Practice Constantly 

Constant practice is an important part as consistency plays a big part in ensuring your fluency in learning Mandarin. If you’re a complete beginner, your practice should start with understanding Pinyin and tones. After mastering the basics of Pinyin, you can shift your focus on vocabulary drilling and try applying different phrases in daily life situations. 

Find HSK Courses

Learning HSK without any guide might be difficult to some people, especially if you have little to no experience in Mandarin. In this situation, you can try finding HSK courses near you. Learning through courses can help provide you with a strict learning schedule, where you can know what you should learn in order to pass a level. Several HSK courses will also assess your competence once in a while to help you track your progress in learning Mandarin. 

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Learn from Mock Tests

HSK tests often keep the same test structure across the years. Knowing this, you can try finding past papers or mock tests to help you get a better grasp of what will be on the exam. While practicing, a great tip that you can apply is setting a timer and attempting to finish each section depending on the real duration of the HSK test. This method will assist you in getting used to the pressure and finding ways to conquer the time limit.