HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi ) is an international standardized Chinese proficiency test set up to test the Chinese proficiency of non-Chinese native speakers (including foreigners, overseas Chinese and Chinese minority candidates).
HSK is divided into six bands.
HSK Band 1: master 150 most commonly used words and relevant grammatical knowledge.
HSK Band 2: master 300 most commonly used words and relevant grammatical knowledge.
HSK Band 3: master 600 most commonly used words and relevant grammatical knowledge.
HSK Band 4: master 1200 common words.
HSK Band 5: master 2500 common words.
HSK Band 6: master 5000 and above commonly used words.
The HSK examination data for 2012-2014 shows that the majority of HSK applicants are international students, because China has strict requirements for non-nationals entering domestic universities, they need to pass HSK Band 5. The second largest group is composed of the employees and leaders of foreign enterprises. The third largest group can be summed up as liberal learners, who love China and Chinese, and hope to give themselves a satisfactory answer after study.
HSK is the acronym of Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, which is as important as IELTS, TOEFL or TOEIC that is vital for Chinese to study abroad. Similar to HSK, Chinese tests include TSC (Test of Spoken Chinese ), YCT (Youth Chinese Proficiency Test) and BCT (Business Chinese Proficiency Test). However, it is generally accepted in China that HSK certificates have the highest value. Therefore, it is recommended that foreign students choose HSK tests.
