HSK: Basic

HSK Basic is a standardized test designed for beginners. It is most appropriate for those who have acquired 400-30 00 basic Chinese words (referring to level A and B in the Outline of HSK Vocabulary) and the corresponding rules of grammar (referring to level A and B in the Outline of HSK Grammar).

1. Function of the Certificate of HSK Basic:

The Certificate of HSK Basic includes three levels, i.e. level A, B and C. (Level A is the highest, equivalent to level C of the Certificate of HSK Elementary - Intermediate.) The certificates will be awarded to those who have secured the required scores. The certificate of HSK Basic serves

(1) as a requirement to enter a college or university in China as an undergraduate student in the field of science, engineering, agriculture and Western medicine (Level A only).
(2) to exempt students from taking certain language courses in China.
(3) as a reference for hiring decisions for positions requiring basic competence in Chinese.

2. HSK Basic scoring system:

1) A subscore of HSK Basic is a scale score ranging from 0 to 100 with 50 as the mean and 20 as the standard deviation. The total score, which is the sum of scale scores for subscores, is a scale score ranging from 0 to 300. The scale subscores show the relative position of a candidate in a standard HSK Basic sample group. Table 1.1 gives the percentile of scale subscores. The second column indicates the percentage occupied by those whose scores are lower than the corresponding scores in the standard HSK Basic reference group.

Table 1.1 Percentile of subscores of HSK Basic

Subscores	Percentile
100	100
76	90
67	80
60	70
55	60
50	50
45	40
40	30
33	20
24	10

(2) The type and grade of HSK Basic is based on the total score. Table 1.2 explains the type and grade of the certificate.

Table 1.2 HSK Types and Grades of the Basic Certificate

Grades	Grade Level	Score Range
C	Level 1	100-154
B	Level 2	155-209
A	Level 3	210-300

(3) Requirements to obtain HSK Basic certificate:
The candidate must secure the total minimum score required for the corresponding level.

3. Description of the level scoring system of HSK Basic:

HSK Basic has three Score levels ranging from 1 to 3:

Level 1---Has basic competence (Low) in Chinese. Able to handle simple, elementary needs in very familiar situations. Any person having mastery of 600 Chinese words and certain rules of grammar can reach this standard which is also the standard for obtaining the certificate of HSK Basic Grade C.

Level 2---Has basic competence (Mid) in Chinese. Able to satisfy partially the requirements of basic communicative exchanges. Level 2 is the standard for obtain g the certificate of HSK Basic Grade B.

Level 3---Has basic competence (High) in Chinese. Level 3 is the minimum level in Chinese proficiency for a candidate to be admitted to a college or university in China as an undergraduate student in the field of science, engineering, agriculture and Western medicine as well as the standard for obtaining the certificate of HSK Basic Grade A, which is equivalent to Grade C of HSK Elementary.

4. Components and test length of HSK Basic:

HSK Basic is a 140-item, 135-minute test. HSK Basic is divided into three subtests: listening, sentence structure and reading. All items are multiple-choice. During the time allowed for each section, examinees must work on that section only and are not permitted to work beyond the time limit for the section. Examinees are also not permitted to turn to a section that has not been announced or go back to an earlier section. The test is taken in this order:

Section	Content	No. of Items	Time (Minutes)
I	Listening Comprehension	50	35
II	Sentence Structure	40	40
III	Reading Comprehension	50	60

 

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