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2022 Detailed Introduction of the New HSK Exam – HSK 3.0 Chinese Test

The recently released Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education regulate the formal grading standards of the Chinese language, especially for people who use the Chinese language as the second language for daily life, study, working, and other fields.

It marks a new era of the HSK test; the HSK 3.0 Chinese test will replace the old version of the HSK test. 

This grading standard is also applicable to the New HSK textbooks and the New HSK test system. If you’re preparing for the New HSK test or want to perform better in the New HSK test, this post can help you get ready for it. 

You must have known about the advantages of learning Mandarin Chinese, so the Chinese language learning plan has already fit into your schedule. Knowing about the latest Grading Standard can help you make a personalized one-on-one Mandarin learning plan and set periodic learning goals.

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If you’re more interested in the FAQ of the New HSK Exam, you may skip the introduction part and go straight to the bottom of this page to find out relevant answers. 

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The Summary Table of the quantitative criteria of Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education

Level	Grade	Syllable	Chinese Character	Chinese Words	Grammar Points
Elementary	1	269	300	500	48
	2	199/468	300/600	772/1272	81/129
	3	140/608	300/900	973/2245	81/210
Intermediate	4	116/724	300/1200	1000/3245	76/286
	5	98/822	300/1500	1071/4316	71/357
	6	86/908	300/1800	1140/5456	67/424
Advanced	7-9	202/1110	1200/3000	5636/11092	148/572
Summary		1110	3000	11092	572
Notice: there are two different quantities in front and behind the “/” mark. The first number represents the quantity of the newly increased language elements in this grade, while the second number stands for the accumulated language elements of the specific grade. At the advanced level, there is no specific quantitative criterion for different grades.

Detailed descriptions of different grades of the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education

Level 1 – Elementary [Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3]

At the elementary level, you’re supposed to understand simple language materials so that you can practice efficient social interactions with limited topics, such as expression related to daily life, school life, working circumstances, social activities, etc.

After qualifying at this New HSK Elementary level, you should be able to use simple interaction strategies to facilitate your daily Chinese expressions. It is also necessary to have an initial impression of Chinese culture and cross-culture intercommunication after completing the study of this level.

The quantitative criteria of this level are being proficient with 608 syllables, 900 Chinese characters, 2,245 Chinese words, 210 grammar points, and being able to handwrite 300 Chinese characters.

Grade 1 – New HSK 1

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills;

Being able to have a brief conversation on the most familiar topics and tasks or reply to others for the simplest social purpose.

Check out the NEW HSK 1 COMPLETE CHINESE VOCABULARY LIST WITH EXAMPLES AND AUDIOS.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on personal information, daily life, dining, transportations, hobbies, etc., and practicing relevant social interactions.

For example: being able to use the most basic etiquette terms and phrases to interact with different people, recognizing and identifying specific simple information in a public environment, and making an inquiry about it, such as knowing how to order food in a Chinese restaurant.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 269 syllables, 300 Chinese characters, 500 Chinese words, 48 grammar points.

• Listening skill: being able to understand the simple conversation concentrating on words and simple sentences and topics and tasks related to Grade 1. The language materials are spoken in a proper and clear pronunciation slowly (should not be less than 100 words/min). Students should also comprehend basic information by using facilitative tools such as pictures and other material objects.
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 1 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly. Being able to use vocabulary and grammar from Grade 1 to conduct topic expression and interaction tasks. Being able to use basic spoken expressions and use words and common simple sentences to have a simple conversation.
• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to Grade 1 quantitative indicator. Being able to use pictures and pinyin to comprehend language materials (less than 100 Chinese characters) limited to the Grade 1 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 1. The reading speed should not be less than 80 words per minute. You should recognize the most common daily signs and symbols and get basic information from simple notes, tables, and maps.
• Writing skill: master handwriting of 100 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Elementary Handwriting Chinese characters. Having a basic comprehension of the strokes and writing orders of Chinese characters and the proper usage of marks. Being able to copy write Chinese characters with a speed not less than 10 words per minute. Writing properly with basic written expressions, using simple words and common sentences to fulfill basic personal information and notes.

As an expert in teaching Mandarin Chinese, the Keats Teaching team has developed its own special techniques and construction to help all Mandarin learners learn the Chinese language quickly and easily. If you’re looking for a professional HSK test preparation course, Keats School should be your first choice.

Grade 2 – New HSK 2

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills;

Being able to have a brief conversation on relatively familiar topics and tasks or reply to others for basic social purposes.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on simple social activities, family life, study arrangement, shopping, dining, personal feelings, etc., and practice relevant social interactions. 

For example: being able to order food in a Chinese restaurant (10 Chinese dishes you must try when learning Chinese in Kunming)and discuss personal hobbies with friends in Chinese (How to speak Mandarin in 30 days); being able to recognize and identify the information on an admission and registration format and fill it in.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 468 syllables (199 increased), 600 Chinese characters (300 increased) (Checking out the 500 most common Chinese characters), 1,272 Chinese words (772 increased), and 129 grammar points (81 increased).

• Listening skill: understanding the general conversation or speech related to Grade 2 topics and tasks, as well as contents dominated by a single sentence or contains compound sentences. The language materials are spoken in a standard and clear pronunciation at a slow pace (not less than 140 words per minute). Students should also comprehend basic information by using facilitative techniques such as gestures and facial expressions.
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 2 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly. Being able to use vocabulary and grammar from Grade 2 to conduct topic expression and interaction tasks. Being able to use basic spoken expressions and use simple sentences to have a simple conversation, statement, and social activities.
• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the Grade 2 quantitative indicator. Using diagrams, pinyin, and dictionaries to comprehend language materials (less than 200 Chinese characters) that are limited to the Grade 2 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 2. The reading speed should not be less than 100 words per minute. You should be able to gain specific information from introductive and declarative language materials. You should be able to read and understand general notices and e-messages as well.
• Writing skill: master handwriting of 200 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Elementary Handwriting Chinese characters. Having a basic comprehension of the strokes and writing orders of Chinese characters and the proper usage of marks. Being able to copy-write Chinese characters with a speed not less than 15 words per minute. Being able to write properly with basic written expressions; using simple sentences to introduce personally related basic information within the given duration, with no less than 100 Chinese characters.

Grade 3 – New HSK 3

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice general listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills;

Being able to have a brief conversation related to basic topics and tasks about daily life, study, and working events;

Being able to practice daily social interactions.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on traveling experience, course schedule, cultural and sports events, festivals and customs, education and occupation, etc., and practice relevant social interactions.

For example: being able to talk about itinerary and customs that related to traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival; being able to send relatively formal invitations by both spoken language and writing letters (How to make friends with Chinese ); being able to reply to other’s invitation.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 608 syllables (140 increased), 900 Chinese characters (300 increased), 2,245 Chinese words (973 increased), and 210 grammar points (81 increased).

• Listening skill: Understanding the general conversation or speech related to Grade 3 topics and tasks, as well as contents dominated by a long single sentence or contains simple compound sentences. The language materials are spoken in a standard and clear pronunciation at a moderate speed (not less than 180 words per minute). Students should also comprehend most of the information using facilitative techniques such as differentiating speaking voice, speaking tone, and speaking speed.
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 3 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly. Being able to use vocabulary and grammar from Grade 3 to conduct topic expression and interaction tasks. Being able to use a few complex sentences to have simple communications or discussions. 
• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the Grade 3 quantitative indicator. Being able to comprehend language materials (less than 300 Chinese characters) that are limited to the Grade 3 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 3. The reading speed should not be less than 120 words per minute. You should be able to understand the basic complex sentences and comprehend declarative and descriptive language materials to have a general impression of the materials and the details. The skill of using dictionaries to learn and understand new words and characters is necessary for this grade. You should be able to initially master the skill of fast reading and extensive reading as well.
• Writing skill: master the handwriting of 300 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Elementary Handwriting Chinese characters. Being proficient with the strokes and writing orders of Chinese characters and the proper usage of marks. Being able to copy-write Chinese characters with a speed not less than 20 words per minute. Being able to write general content with basic written expressions; write emails, notices, and a short descriptive paragraph within the given duration, with no less than 200 Chinese characters. The writing is supposed to be basically smooth and fluent with clear expressions.

Level 2 – Intermediate [Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6]

At the intermediate level, you’re supposed to understand multiple topics of language materials to conduct social activities smoothly. You should have paragraphed expressions about complex topics (How to improve your Chinese writing?), such as expressions related to daily life, working events, occupations, social cultures, etc.

After being qualified at this level, you should be able to use common interaction strategies. It is also necessary to have a general understanding of Chinese cultures, such as knowing about the customs of Chinese Festivals and cross-cultural intercommunication after completing the study of this level.

The quantitative criteria of this level are being proficient with 908 syllables (300 syllables increased), 1,800 Chinese characters (900 Chinese characters increased), 5,456 Chinese words (3,211 Chinese words increased), 424 grammar points (214 grammar points increased), and also being able to handwrite 700 Chinese characters (400 Chinese characters increased).

Grade 4 – New HSK 4

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice considerable listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Making the initial interpretation.

Being able to have completed constant and efficient social interactions on complex topics about daily life, study, and working events.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on community life, state of healthiness and wellbeing, campus life, daily working, animals, and plants (How to say fruits name in Chinese), etc.; and practicing relevant social interactions.

For example: briefly describe their conditions and communicate with doctors when in the hospital (how to see a doctor in China); draft a simple advertisement of a part-time job and reply to other’s inquiries.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 724 syllables (116 increased), 1,200 Chinese characters (300 increased), 3,245 Chinese words (1,000 increased), and 286 grammar points (76 increased).

• Listening skill: understanding informal conversation or speeches related to Grade 4 topics and tasks (less than 400 Chinese characters). The language materials are spoken in a neutral tone without an obvious accent. The speaking speed is normal or slightly fast (180 to 200 Chinese characters per minute). Besides, the students should get rid of the impact of unnecessary repetitions and pauses and then obtain accurate information about the talk. In the aspect of the cultural elements, students should be able to sense the ideas that are not expressed in words, such as implications and other relevant cultural contents.
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 4 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly with a neutral tone. Being able to have paragraphed expressions initially at this stage. Use relatively complex sentences to describe the development of an event or complicated situation, have a brief statement, and express personal feelings. Being able to conduct general conversations with fluent expression and proper usage of words.
• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the Grade 4 quantitative indicator. Being able to comprehend language materials (less than 500 Chinese characters) that are limited to the Grade 4 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 4. The reading speed should not be less than 140 words per minute. You should be able to understand general compound sentences, comprehend declarative and descriptive language materials and simple argumentations so that you can understand the core information of the language materials and comprehend relevant cultural content and draw the inference based on what you got.
• Writing skill: master the handwriting of 100 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Intermediate Handwriting Chinese characters. Being proficient with the constitution of Chinese characters. Being able to use simple sentence formats to form paragraphed expression; writing a brief declarative and descriptive paragraph within the given duration, with no less than 300 Chinese characters. The writing is supposed to consist of proper words and a combination of different sentences format. The writing should be completed with fluent delivery. Students should be able to conduct common practical writing in the correct format.
• Interpretation skill: being able to do initial interpretation tasks; being able to translated topics and tasks related to Grade 4 with basically completed content; students in this grade need to realize the cultural facts involved in the translating process. Being able to conduct interpretation during an informal reception occasion and companionship. Being able to translate simple declarative and descriptive written language materials with certain accuracy.

Grade 5 – New HSK 5

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice considerable listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Making the basic interpretation.

Being able to have completed smooth and efficient social interactions on complex topics about daily life, study, and working events.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse with social relationships, lifestyles, learning methods, natural environment, social phenomenon, etc., and practice relevant social interactions.

For example: being able to discuss or communicate with others about the common social phenomenon; reply to emails content, introduce personal learning tricks and advice (trying out these useful apps to help you transit smoothly when learning Chinese in China).

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 822 syllables (98 increased), 1,500 Chinese characters (300 increased), 4,316 Chinese words (1,071 increased), and 357 grammar points (71 increased).

• Listening skill: understanding informal and formal conversations or speeches related to Grade 5 topics and tasks (less than 500 Chinese characters). The language materials are spoken in a neutral tone without an obvious accent. The speaking speed is normal or slightly fast (200 to 220 Chinese characters per minute). The students should get rid of the impact of unnecessary repetitions and pauses or noisy environmental influence and then obtain accurate information about the talk. In the cultural elements, students should be able to sense the relevant cultural contents involved in the conversations or speeches.
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 5 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly with a neutral tone. Being able to complete related topic expressions and interaction tasks. Being able to have basic paragraphed expressions at this stage. Being able to use relatively complex sentences to communicate with others and describe an event with details. Being able to fully state a personal opinion with fluent delivery full of complicated thoughts and emotions. Being able to conduct general conversations with proper usage of words and a certain level of logical thought.
• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters (Are you looking for the best recourse of learning Chinese vocabularies?), and Chinese words relevant to the Grade 5 quantitative indicator. Being able to comprehend language materials (less than 700 Chinese characters) that are limited to the Grade 5 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 5. The reading speed should not be less than 160 words per minute. You should understand complex compound sentences, comprehend declarative, descriptive, and argumentative language materials to understand and summarize the core information of the language materials and comprehend relevant cultural content and draw the inference based on what you got. At this grade, students are also supposed to master reading skills such as fast reading, extensive reading, and filtering key information.
• Writing skill: being able to master the handwriting of 250 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Intermediate Handwriting Chinese characters. Being able to analyze the construction of common Chinese characters. Being able to use relatively complex sentences to form paragraphed expression; writing a general declarative, descriptive and argumentative paragraph within the given duration, with no less than 450 Chinese characters. The writing is supposed to consist of proper words and sentence formats. The writing should be completed with fluent delivery. Students should be able to conduct common practical writing with a correct format and formal expressions.
• Interpretation skill: being able to do basic interpretation tasks; being able to translated topics and tasks related to Grade 5 with completed content; students in this grade need to process the cultural facts involved. Being able to conduct consecutive interpretation with fluent delivery on an informal occasion. Being able to translate general declarative, descriptive, and argumentative written language materials with certain accuracy.

Grade 6 – New HSK 6

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice considerable listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Making general interpretations.

Being able to have abundant, fluent, and decent social interactions on professional topics about the study and working events.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse with topics of social life, business affairs, arguments and conflicts, social news, comparison between China and other countries, etc., and conducting relevant social missions.

For example: being able to talk about the differences between China and other countries in aspects of history (Are you clear about the history of China) and culture when being on an informal occasion; understanding the social news generally and commenting on it.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

Quantitative indicators:

Being proficient with 908 syllables (86 increased), 1,800 Chinese characters (300 increased), 5,456 Chinese words (1,140 increased), and 424 grammar points (67 increased).

• Listening skill: comprehending conversations or speeches related to Grade 6 topics and tasks (less than 600 Chinese characters). The language materials are spoken in a neutral tone without an obvious accent. The speaking speed is normal or slightly fast (220 to 240 Chinese characters per minute). The students should be able to get rid of the impact of linguistic mistakes and revise and then comprehend the actual intention of the speaker. In the aspect of the cultural elements, students should understand the relevant cultural contents involved in the conversations or speeches. Watching Chinese films is an efficient way to practice your Chinese listening skill. 
• Speaking skill: master the syllable of Grade 6 quantitative indicators and pronounce these syllables properly with a neutral tone. Being able to complete related topic expressions and interaction tasks. Being able to make general paragraphed expressions at this stage. Being able to concisely use complex sentences to describe events and scenes. Being able to fluently have a discussion and simple negotiation. Being able to fully express personal opinions and emotions with fluent delivery, abundant word choices, decent language, and a certain level of logical thought.

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To practice your listening and speaking skills, you can search for free online lessons for Chinese learning and practice on Keats School’s website. You can also follow Keats School on other social platforms to enjoy daily Chinese Character learning and interesting tips for Mandarin study.

Facebook: @keatschinese

Twitter: Learn Chinese

Quora Space: Keats Chinese

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Instagram: keats.school

YouTube: Keats Chinese School

WeChat Channel: Keats Chinese

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• Reading skill: recognize and read syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the Grade 6 quantitative indicator. Being able to comprehend language materials (less than 900 Chinese characters) that are limited to the Grade 6 grammar and related to the topics and tasks of Grade 6. The reading speed should not be less than 180 words per minute. Students should be clear about the construction and layers of the language materials. Besides, students should comprehend the content precisely and conclude the main points and information of the language materials. Based on the content, students should be able to assume the meaning of new words and draw the inference of implicated information. Students are also supposed to comprehend relevant cultural content and master reading skills such as fast reading, searching for key information, and summarizing main thoughts.
• Writing skill: being able to master the handwriting of 400 Chinese characters listed out in the List of Intermediate Handwriting Chinese characters. Being proficient at analyzing the construction of common Chinese characters. Being able to use relatively long and complex sentences to form paragraphed expression; writing a common declarative, descriptive and argumentative paragraph within the given duration, with no less than 600 Chinese characters. The writing is supposed to consist of a proper selection of words and sentence formats. The writing should be completed with fluent and consecutive delivery. Students should apply common rhetoric to conduct common practical writing with a correct format and formal expressions.
• Interpretation skill: being able to do general interpretation tasks; translating topics and tasks related to Grade 6 with completed content; students in this grade need to process the cultural facts involved and conduct a translation by the native Chinese expression. Being able to conduct speaking interpretation with fluent delivery on an informal occasion. Mistakes could be revised in time during the interpretation. Being able to translate common declarative, descriptive, and argumentative written language materials with accuracy.

Level 3 – Advanced [Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9]

At the advanced level, students are supposed to comprehend multiple topics, complicated language materials in various formats to conduct profound communications and discussions. Students should conduct decent social activities with complex topics such as social events, academic studies, etc. During the communication, students should demonstrate their logical thinking, consecutive and constructive expressions by flexibly using various social strategies.

After being qualified at this level, you should profoundly understand Chinese culture and history with a global view. Students at this stage should also be proficient with cross-cultural intercommunication as well.

The best way to get immersed in a cross-cultural environment is to spend a gap year in China. 

The quantitative criteria of this level are being proficient with 1,110 syllables (202 syllables increased), 3,000 Chinese characters (1,200 Chinese characters increased), 11,092 Chinese words (5,636 Chinese words increased), 572 grammar points (148 grammar points increased), and also being able to handwrite 1,200 Chinese characters (500 Chinese characters increased).

There is no detailed clarification of quantitative criteria in each grade in the advanced level (Grade 7 to Grade 9).

Grade 7 – New HSK 7

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice well listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Doing initial professional interpreting works.

Being able to have formal, fluent, and decent social interactions on relatively extensive and higher-level topics.

Topics and tasks:

Converse social etiquette, science and technology, culture and arts, sports, emotions and affections, professional curriculum, etc., and conducting relevant social interactions.

For example: being able to communicate with participants when attending a relatively formal meeting; being able to read and understand most learning materials of a professional subject and finish assignments of the subject.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

• Listening skill: comprehending general lecture speeches and social news related to Grade 7 topics and tasks (about 800 Chinese characters). The speaking speed of these language materials is normal or slightly fast. The students should be able to get rid of the impact of the environment and then comprehend the main facts and views of the language materials. Students should be able to understand the logical construction of the speeches or news and also be able to comprehend the related social-cultural contents.
• Speaking skill: being able to master the syllables, vocabularies, and grammars of quantitative indicators of advanced level. Being able to conduct topics expressions and interaction tasks of the relevant grade. Being able to make initial paragraphed expressions at this stage. Being able to flexibly use complex sentences to express personal views, have a discussion or debate. The content of the speaker should be fluent in words and sentences with logical thoughts and abundant details. The student’s pronunciation should be accurate with a neutral tone. Students are supposed to use proper words for communication and adjust their expressions according to the actual situation. Being able to use rhetoric to strengthen the emotion of the speaking and also embodies an awareness of cross-cultural intercommunication. Do you know how to apply Chinese internet slang during a conversation? 
• Reading skill: recognizing and reading syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the quantitative indicator of advanced level. Being able to read and comprehend various kinds of articles related to the advanced level topics and tasks. The reading speed should not be less than 200 words per minute. Students are supposed to be proficient with Chinese expressions and thoughts to have a comprehensive understanding of the construction and content of the articles. And they can also draw the inference and summarize the content with a considerable understanding of the cultural content. Students are also supposed to well master the reading skills to independently search for necessary information.
• Writing skill: being able to master the handwriting of Chinese characters required in the List of Advanced Handwriting Chinese characters. Being able to write practice essays, explanatory essays, argumentative essays, and thesis with a considerable length. The articles should have a clear point of view, layout, proper expressions, standard format, and normal logical thoughts. Students at this stage are supposed to be able to use different kinds of rhetoric in writing.
• Interpretation skill: being able to do professional interpretation tasks initially; translating topics and tasks related to specific grades, and the translated work should be completed and accurate. On formal occasions, being able to do consecutive translation and interpretation during accompanying. Being able to translate practical essays, explanatory essays, argumentative essays, etc., with a considerable length. The translated content should be the original content with a proper format.

Grade 8 – New HSK 8

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice well listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Doing basic professional interpreting works.

Being able to have formal, fluent, and decent social interactions on various higher-level and professional topics.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on language and literature, economy and politics, Legal affairs, philosophy, history, etc., and conduct relevant social interactions. If you’re self-studying Mandarin Chinese, there is some advice about what to do and not to do when learning Chinese. 

For example: being able to deliver profound conversation and discuss topics of philosophy, religions, and current events; being able to do basic professional interpreting works; being able to express their own, call into question and declaim reasons for complaint when there are conflicts.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

• Listening skill: comprehending professional lecture speeches and news with special subjects related to Grade 8 topics and tasks (about 800 Chinese characters). The speaking speed of these language materials is normal or slightly fast. The students should be able to get rid of the impact of the environment and other obstacles to comprehend and summarize the main facts and views of the language materials. Students should be able to understand the logical construction of the speeches or news and also be able to comprehend the related social-cultural contents.
• Speaking skill: being able to master the syllables, vocabularies, and grammars of quantitative indicators of advanced level. Being able to conduct topics expressions and interaction tasks of the relevant grade. Being able to make proper paragraphed expressions and also to apply techniques flexibly at this stage. Being able to have a speech, impromptu talking, and debate. During the speaking, students are supposed to express their opinions and thoughts comprehensively and decently. It should be with correct pronunciation, neutral tone, fluent expression, and strong logic when speaking. Being able to use rhetoric to strengthen the emotion of the speaking and also embodies the ability of cross-cultural intercommunication.
• Reading skill: recognizing and reading syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the quantitative indicator of advanced level. Being able to read and comprehend various kinds of articles related to the advanced level topics and tasks. The reading speed should not be less than 220 words per minute. Students are supposed to be proficient with Chinese expressions and thoughts. Students are also supposed to be proficient with various reading skills to comprehend the content and involved cultural implications precisely. Being able to find out the linguistic and logical issues contained in the articles.
• Writing skill: being able to master the handwriting of Chinese characters required in the List of Advanced Handwriting Chinese characters. Being able to write practice essays, explanatory essays, argumentative essays, and thesis with a considerable length. The articles should have a clear point of view, layout, proper expressions, standard format, and normal logical thoughts. Students at this stage are supposed to use abundant Chinese idioms, slang, and different kinds of rhetoric in writing.
• Interpretation skill: being able to do professional interpretation tasks; translating topics and tasks related to this grade, and the translated work should be completed and accurate. On formal occasions, being able to do consecutive translation and interpretation with professional content. Being able to translate practical essays, explanatory essays, argumentative essays, etc., with a considerable length. The translated content should be accurate and following the original content with a proper format.

Grade 9 – New HSK 9

In this grade, you will show

Verbal communication abilities:

Being able to practice well listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; Doing professional interpreting works.

Being able to apply various techniques and skills comprehensively; being able to have formal, fluent, and decent social interactions on various social topics in different scenes.

Topics and tasks:

Being able to converse on topics of academic researches, policy, and regulations, business and trades, international affairs, etc., and conducting relevant social interactions.

For example: being able to participate in business negotiation and debate with the counterpart under a formal circumstance (How will learn Chinese benefit your career?); being able to read and understand documents with formal patterns and terms, such as policies and regulations, or a study report; in addition, being able to make decent comments on the topic.

These conversation practices can be performed in the one-on-one Chinese class, in the small group Chinese class at Keats School, or via taking online Chinese lessons with Keats Team. 

• Listening skill: comprehending general lecture speeches and social news related to Grade 9 topics and tasks (about 800 Chinese characters). The speaking speed of these language materials is normal or slightly fast. The students should be able to analyze and conclude needed information to properly comprehend involved social-cultural implications.
• Speaking skill: being able to master the syllables, vocabularies, and grammars of quantitative indicators of advanced level. Being able to conduct topics expressions and interaction tasks of the relevant grade. Being able to make proper paragraphed expressions and also to apply techniques flexibly at this stage. Students are supposed to be able to express their opinions and thoughts comprehensively and decently. When speaking, it should be with correct pronunciation, neutral tone, and fluent expression. Being able to use rhetoric to strengthen the emotion of the speaking and also embodies the ability of cross-cultural intercommunication.
• Reading skill: recognizing and reading syllables, Chinese characters, and Chinese words relevant to the quantitative indicator of advanced level. Being able to read and comprehend various kinds of articles related to all kinds of topics and formats. The reading speed should not be less than 240 words per minute. Students are supposed to be proficient with Chinese expressions and thoughts. Students are also supposed to be proficient with various reading skills to comprehend the content and involved cultural implications precisely.
• Writing skill: being able to master the handwriting of Chinese characters required in the List of Advanced Handwriting Chinese characters. Being able to write academic papers and other kinds of essays. The articles should have a clear point of view, layout, proper expressions, standard format, and strong logic. Students at this stage are supposed to apply various compound sentences and different kinds of rhetoric in their writings to make them literary.
• Interpretation skill: being able to perform professional interpretations and translate topics and tasks related to this grade, and the translated work should be completed and accurate. On formal occasions, being able to make simultaneous interpretation with professional content with fluent expressions. Being able to translate all kinds of essays. The translated content should be fluent and accurate and follow the original content and style properly.

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After reading the post, I hope you are clear about what HSK is now.

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You can search for free online lessons for Chinese learning and practice on Keats School’s website. You can also follow Keats School on other social platforms to enjoy daily Chinese Character learning and interesting tips for Mandarin study.

Facebook: @keatschinese

Twitter: Learn Chinese

Quora Space: Keats Chinese

Tumblr: keatschinese

Instagram: keats.school

YouTube: Keats Chinese School

WeChat Channel: Keats Chinese