Certification
While learning Mandarin Chinese is important, it is equally important to showcase the skills you have gained. Mandarin Chinese certifications are the best way to showcase your skills. Of the certifications available, the most widely accepted are the examinations conducted by Chinese Testing International which is a part of Hanban in China. The HSK, HSKK, YCT and other examinations offered by this institute are valid throughout the world and readily accepted as proof of language knowledge. Employers, institutions and all other bodies accept these certifications for jobs, scholarships, studies and other positions.
These exams test the different aspects of knowing Mandarin Chinese. The main components are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. The exams have different levels and we detail everything in the sections below. The best part is that all Chinese courses at Yeh China are designed to help you achieve these certifications. Click on the tabs below to learn more.
Examination Details
The HSK Exam is targetted for all adult learners focussing on professional settings. Corporate professionals, businessmen, college students and even hobby learners can take this exam to hone their skills and showcase their knowledge.
HSK I
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 1 of Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and A1 level of the Common European Framework. HSK (Level I) test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 40 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 5 | 20 | About 15 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Part IV | 5 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 3 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 5 | 20 | 17 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Part IV | 5 | |||
| Total | / | 40 | About 35 | |
The test will last for 40 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSK II
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 2 of Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and A2 level of the Common European Framework.
The HSK (Level II) test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 60 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 10 | 35 | About 25 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 10 | |||
| Part IV | 5 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 3 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 5 | 25 | 22 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Part IV | 10 | |||
| Total | / | 60 | About 50 | |
The test will last for a total of 55 minutes (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSK III
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 3 of Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and B1 level of the Common European Framework.
The HSK (Level III) test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 80 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 10 | 40 | Approximately 35 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 10 | |||
| Part IV | 10 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 5 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 10 | 30 | 30 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 10 | |||
| III. Writing | Part I | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Total | / | 80 | Approximately 85 | |
The test will last for 90 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSK IV
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 4 of Chinese Language proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and B2 level of the Common European Framework. The HSK (Level IV) test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing and contains a total of 100 test items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 10 | 45 | Approximately 30 |
| Part II | 15 | |||
| Part III | 20 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 5 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 10 | 40 | 40 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 20 | |||
| III. Writing | Part I | 10 | 15 | 25 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Total | / | 100 | ~ 100 | |
The test will last for 105 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSK V
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 5 of Chinese Language proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and C1 level of the Common European Framework. The HSK (Level V) test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 100 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 20 | 45 | About 30 |
| Part II | 25 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 5 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 15 | 45 | 45 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 20 | |||
| III. Writing | Part I | 8 | 10 | 40 |
| Part II | 2 | |||
| Total | / | 100 | About 120 | |
The test will last for 125 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSK VI
The tests assess the test takers ability in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of Level 6 of Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for speakers of other languages and C2 level of the Common European Framework. The HSK (Level VI) test is made up of listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing sections and contains a total of 101 items
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 15 | 50 | About 35 |
| Part II | 15 | |||
| Part III | 20 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 5 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 10 | 50 | 50 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 10 | |||
| Part IV | 20 | |||
| III. Writing | Prose Writing | 1 | 45 | |
| Total | / | 101 | ~ 135 | |
The test will last for 140 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
HSKK Beginner
The HSK Speaking Test (Beginner Level) assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves in oral Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level I and Level II of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A Level of theCommon European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test (Beginner Level) can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and meet specific needs for communication
Test Target
The HSK Speaking Test (Beginner Level) is intended for the students who have studied Chinese 2-3 class hours per week for 1-2 semesters. These students have mastered about 200 commonly used words.
Test Content
The HSK Speaking Test (Beginner Level) is comprised of three parts, containing 27 items in total.
|
Section |
Number of Items |
Duration (Min) |
|
|
Part I |
Listen and Repeat |
15 |
4 |
|
Part II |
Listen and Reply |
10 |
3 |
|
Part III |
Answer the Questions |
2 |
3 |
|
Total |
27 |
10 |
|
-
The duration of the test is 17 minutes (including 7 minutes for preparation).
-
There are 15 items in Part I. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
-
There are 10 items in Part II. In each item, the recording of a question will be played. The test taker should provide a brief answer.
-
There are 2 items in Part III. There will be two questions on the test paper (in pinyin). The test taker should answer these questions using a minimum of 5 sentences per answer.
HSKK Intermediate:
The HSK Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves in oral Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level III and Level IV of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the B Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) can understand intermediate Chinese and converse fluently with native Chinese speakers.
Test Target
The HSK Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) is intended for students who have studied Chinese 2-3 hours per week for 1-2 academic years. These students have mastered about 900 commonly used words.
Test Content
The HSK Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) is comprised of three parts, containing 14 items in total.
|
Section |
Number of Items |
Duration (Min) |
|
|
Part I |
Listen and Repeat |
10 |
3 |
|
Part II |
Picture Description |
2 |
4 |
|
Part III |
Answer the Questions |
2 |
4 |
|
Total |
14 |
11 |
|
-
The duration of the test is 21 minutes (including 10 minutes for preparation).
-
There are 10 items in Part I. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
-
There are 2 items in Part II. Each item consists of an image. The test taker should say something based on the picture.
-
There are 2 items in Part III. The test taker should answer the two questions (in pinyin).
HSKK Advanced
The HSK Speaking Test (Advanced Level) assesses the test takers’ ability to express themselves orally in Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level V of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the C Level of theCommon European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK Speaking Test (Advanced Level) can understand spoken Chinese and fluently express their ideas in Chinese.
Test Target
The HSK Speaking Test (Advanced Level) is intended for the students who have studied Chinese 2-3 class hours per week for more than 2 academic years. These students have mastered about 3,000 common words
Test Content
The HSK Speaking Test (Advanced Level) is comprised of three parts, containing 6 items in total.
|
Section |
Number of Items |
Duration (Min) |
|
|
Part I |
Listen and Repeat |
3 |
7 |
|
Part II |
Read Aloud |
1 |
2 |
|
Part III |
Answer the Questions |
2 |
5 |
|
Total |
6 |
14 |
|
-
The duration of the test is 24 minutes (including 10 minutes for preparation).
-
There are 3 items in Part I. The recording of a passage will be played, and the test taker should repeat the content.
-
There is 1 item in Part II. There will be a passage on the test paper, and the test taker should read it out aloud.
-
There are 2 items in Part III. The test taker should answer the two questions on the test paper.
The new YCT test was launched by Hanban in an effort to encourage foreign young students to learn Chinese and improve their Chinese language proficiency.
YCT I
The YCT (Level I) assesses test takers’ ability in daily use of Chinese. Test takers who are able to pass the YCT (Level I) can understand and use some of the most common Chinese phrases and sentences and possess the ability to further their Chinese language studies.
The YCT (Level I) test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 35 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration(Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 5 | 20 | About 10 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Part IV | 5 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 3 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 5 | 15 | 17 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Total | / | 35 | About 30 | |
The duration of the test is 35 minutes (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
YCT II
The YCT (Level II) tests test takers’ ability in daily use of Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level I of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the YCT (Level II) can understand and use some simple Chinese phrases and sentences and cope with basic level communications.
The YCT (Level II) test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 40 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||||
| I. Listening | Part I | 5 | 20 | About 15 | ||
| Part II | 5 | |||||
| Part III | 5 | |||||
| Part IV | 5 | |||||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 3 | |||||
| II. Reading | Part I | 5 | 20 | 27 | ||
| Part II | 5 | |||||
| Part III | 5 | |||||
| Part IV | 5 | |||||
| Total | / | 40 | About 45 | |||
The test will last for a total of 50 minutes (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
YCT III
The YCT (Level III) tests test takers’ ability in the daily use of Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level II of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A2 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the YCT (Level III), having reached an excellent level in basic Chinese, can communicate on familiar daily topics in a simple manner.
The YCT (Level III) test is made up of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains a total of 60 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | ||
| I. Listening | Part I | 10 | 35 | About 20 |
| Part II | 10 | |||
| Part III | 10 | |||
| Part IV | 5 | |||
| Filling out the answer sheet(Mark your answers for listening comprehension on Answer Sheet) | 5 | |||
| II. Reading | Part I | 5 | 25 | 30 |
| Part II | 5 | |||
| Part III | 5 | |||
| Part IV | 10 | |||
| Total | / | 60 | About 55 | |
The test will last for a total of 60 minutes (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personal information).
YCT Beginner
The YCT Speaking Test (Beginner Level) assesses test takers’ ability to expressing themselves orally in Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level I and Level II of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the A Level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the YCT Speaking Test (Beginner Level) can understand and use familiar everyday expressions that meet specific needs for communication.
Test Target
The YCT (Beginner Level) is intended for young students who have studied Chinese for 1-2 semesters, with 2-3 class hours per week. These students have mastered 200 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.
Test Content
The YCT Speaking Test (Beginner Level) is made up of three parts and contains a total of 25 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | |
| Part I | Listen and Repeat | 15 | 4 |
| Part II | Listen and Reply | 5 | 2 |
| Part III | Describe Pictures | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 25 | 10 | |
- The test will last for a total of 17 minutes (including 7 minutes for preparation).
- There are 15 items in Part I. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
- There are 5 items in Part II. For each item, the recording of a question will be played. The test taker should provide a brief answer.
- There are 5 items in Part III. Each item consists of a picture. The test taker should use 2-3 sentences to say something based on the picture.
YCT Intermediate
The YCT Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) assesses test takers’ ability to expressing themselves orally in Chinese. It is the counterpart of the Level III of the Chinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers of Other Languages and the B1 Level of theCommon European Framework of Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the YCT Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) can understand simple spoken Chinese and engage in basic communication with native Chinese speakers.
Test Target
The YCT (Intermediate Level) is intended for young students who have studied Chinese for more than two semesters, with 2-3 class hours per week. These students have mastered 400 commonly used words and related grammar patterns.
Test Content
The YCT Speaking Test (Intermediate Level) is made up of three parts and contains a total of 14 items.
| Section | Number of Items | Duration (Min) | |
| Part I | Listen and Repeat | 10 | 3 |
| Part II | Describe Pictures | 2 | 3 |
| Part III | Answer the Questions | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 14 | 9 | |
- The test will last a total of 19 minutes (including 10 minutes for preparation).
- There are 10 items in Part I. For each item, a sentence recording will be played. The test taker should repeat the sentence.
- There are 2 items in Part II. Each item consists of a picture. The test taker should write a passage based on the picture.
- There are 2 items in Part III. The test taker should answer the two questions (using pinyin).
Why Certifications?
While learning Mandarin Chinese is important, it is equally important to showcase the skills you have gained. Mandarin Chinese certifications are the best way to showcase your skills. Of the certifications available, the most widely accepted are the examinations conducted by Chinese Testing International which is a part of Hanban in China. The HSK, HSKK, YCT and other examinations offered by this institute are valid throughout the world and readily accepted as proof of language knowledge. Employers, institutions and all other bodies accept these certifications for jobs, scholarships, studies and other positions.
These exams test the different aspects of knowing Mandarin Chinese. The main components are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. The exams have different levels and we detail everything in the sections below. The best part is that all Chinese courses at Yeh China are designed to help you achieve these certifications. Click on the tabs above to learn more.