The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (汉语水平考试, HSK) is a standard language test in the PRC for testing levels of standard Mandarin. While the test is largely accepted, it still has its critics and criticisms (such as being too standard). Even if you don’t bother learning for the test, knowing how the test is put together and what the levels mean can make a massive difference for learning Mandarin.
The HSK has gone through multiple revisions and has been made more accessible in more recent years. The Hanban reduced the complexity and difficulty of the exam to more accurately reflect the level of students. Since there have been many rapid changes in the exam, some people still hold it to its previous reputation as a difficult test which doesn’t accurately reflect skill. While mastering the HSK doesn’t mean mastering Mandarin, it does mean at least a certain level of understanding is most likely there.
The New HSK rebuilt the system the exam works off of from the ground up. To make this even more efficient, virtually all PRC produced resources are based around the HSK. Previously, it was just most (and fortunately, the older HSK levels have some degree of equivalence). This means there’s a plethora of material all based on the same system making it much easier to jump between types and classes of materials without getting lost. When used right, the HSK can be an important tool for learning Chinese even if you don’t care about the HSK.
Why the HSK Is Important
While most hobbyists or even post-secondary students don’t see the value of the HSK unless they’re trying to get into a career or school, the actual method behind the HSK combined with its distribution make it extremely powerful. Understanding the HSK levels means access to plentiful, novel materials, ability to prove ability to others and yourself, and a structured system where you are never left guessing what comes next. While the method isn’t foolproof, understanding the advantages and disadvantages means you can have a better shot at mastering the language without getting stuck on a plateau. There’s no real jump between levels outside the standard gradation of skill when done correctly.
Access
Studying for the HSK, or using HSK materials provides you access other methods can’t. Almost every foreign or second language book on Mandarin in (or affiliated with) the PRC is going to use the HSK as its basis. While this doesn’t matter in the beginning, it quickly matters as you reach the intermediate level and above. Studying in the same order (or close enough) as the HSK means you can get access to materials at exactly the right level you need (like with Sinolingua’s Graded Chinese Reader series).
While the HSK doesn’t necessarily order all of the words based on an organic frequency, it gets close enough that a little organic input rounds off the edges. The order is a frequency-based approach to certain situations in a specific learning context. There are plenty of missing concepts due to the arrangement, but in my experience it is close enough for the formal language. You’ll get along fine as long as you get organic Chinese input and learn from it.
Following the HSK order and adding to it makes any material at a certain level available once you reach that level. Going from intermediate to advanced is one of the hardest plateaus in any language. It’s also the hardest spot to find content and the first spot you start to see real specialization. Native materials can be too difficult and learner’s materials can be unpredictable.
The HSK levels give you a concrete limit for a new work. If it’s rated for the HSK5, it’s going to have around 2,500 fixed words or less (but no less than the HSK4 at 1,200). On the off chance one of these works contains a more advanced word in a lower level, it will be annotated with a contextual explanation or similar. I’ve never taken the HSK, but I definitely used the advantages of the levels when I began hitting the intermediate level.
Proof
The HSK is proof that you know the language to a certain degree. While that degree may not really matter for why you’re learning the language, it can help with job prospects (it’s similar to getting a cert in tech). It also helps if you decide to study abroad (though that isn’t really as much a concern as of writing).
An HSK level certification won’t guarantee you a job in most places, but it gives you a benchmark of language level which can help you get an edge over the competition. The HSK has a reputation of being more of a test than a pure linguistic assessment in some circles (mainly based on the older HSK), but there’s no doubting that a certain level is still proof of a certain level of linguistic ability (e.g. if they got the HSK5, they’re not going to trip up on responding to “你好马？” from a textbook conversation). If 2 candidates are otherwise similar, the candidate who tested high in the HSK might get the interview slot.
The other usage of HSK materials is a more objective benchmark for your own learning. I use some of the HSK materials to test myself and my application of linguistic skills. While you can game some of the test with testing methods, you still have to at least know enough about a portion of the grammar for it to be of any use. You have to have context to use context clues.
Structure
The HSK provides structure for learning that most other systems don’t. There are series of textbooks which stretch a few years of college instruction, but there’s rarely a full 4 year course in the same series. Most universities have an approach to this, but it isn’t always the smoothest. For hobby learners or people learning for career and similar, there tends to be a lot of jumping in levels and systems without access to formalized instruction.
Each level of the HSK has an idealized level of understanding from reading and writing, to listening and speaking. They expect a gradated level of grammar, vocabulary, etc. that other systems account for, but don’t universally agree on. You trade an approach which is more directly in line with your goals for a structure which can nurture your goals to fruition. Picking one or the other feels like cutting off the nose to spite the face, but why not combine the systems?
I still use HSK materials as a benchmark to spot check my understanding of certain concepts to make sure I stay on top of my language skills outside of China. The structure means that once I get above a certain level, doing well at that level almost guarantees I’ve mastered the lower levels. The HSK is based on systematic, iterative improvement, so while not knowing a lower level concept won’t always hurt you, it almost always eventually will.
Shortcomings of the HSK
I’ve alluded to some of the shortcomings of the HSK already, but while it’s great for a basic assessment of academic Mandarin, it’s still an academic test. You can inflate your level with certain test-taking skills, and you can rank lower by not knowing certain testing strategies. This is the most fundamental shortcoming which allows for the others.
HSK materials which include tests or exercises are going to fit in with the HSK test-taking paradigm. Some works will intentionally deviate, but others double down on buying into the HSK ideology. This isn’t necessarily bad, especially if you’re intentionally trying to take the HSK, but it can limit usefullness outside of the HSK.
The HSK builds heavily off of China’s exam culture. This impacts the question forms and types for the HSK, which can feel boring and predictable. If you’re using only HSK resources, it gets mind-numbing fast without dedication.
If you’re outside of China, the HSK won’t match up to your language needs in the beginning (or once you advance to a certain point). The HSK assumes some degree of actual usage. So, even though the New HSK is aware that not every student will live in or visit China, it still expects you to deal with native speakers to some degree.
The term for bus isn’t mentioned until the HSK2. There is an unspoken itinerary you are expected to follow when learning which really can’t be encapsulated by a formal textbook. This is largely ironed out once you hit the upper beginner level until you get more advanced where it breaks down again. By the point you get more advanced though, you can easily supplement with other materials, native or not.
Using the HSK to Master Mandarin
While I sound critical of the HSK, I find it’s use outweighs its weaknesses. I am critical of the flaws because of just how powerful the HSK methodology is once you understand it. There is an unwritten expectation to make the system work. Like any other system, there are strengths and weaknesses. You just have to learn how to harness the strengths and overcome the weaknesses to succeed.
Using HSK materials can help you access language materials, prove ability a measure of skill and ability, and provides a structure most other systems just can’t. You can scour and match materials with enough time, but it’s easier to know where you are and how to jump in. The HSK may not be something you necessarily care about when learning Mandarin, but it can be something which makes a night and day difference for your efficiency.
By assessing yourself, knowing where to grab materials next, and using its structure, you allow yourself to climb from a more advanced beginner to a truly advanced learner. Your plateau is skill rather than hitting a resource desert. The HSK may not get you sounding like a native in any measure, but it can keep you with access to novel linguistic materials which help you stay on track to do so. If you understand the strengths as well as the limitations, you can use the system to full effect.
The HSK made a massive difference in my ability to learn and master Mandarin. I never would have jumped from barely able to hold a conversation to defending a thesis in the span of 3 years without abusing the system behind the HSK for all it’s worth. While I never took the HSK, I never needed to, but I learned the materials anyway. The advantages let me skip certain things while it gave me a way to assess where I really was. As long as I tested myself honestly, I got a benchmark that was good enough to start moving in the right direction again. The HSK may not be what you want, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater when considering materials made for it.
Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash