As a standardized test of general language proficiency, HSK is not based on any particular textbook or course of study. Therefore candidates may refer to any textbook in preparing for the test. Nevertheless, it is important that all candidates read HSK Test Syllabus carefully, a guide for the pre-test preparation. It contains an introduction to HSK, a sample HSK test paper and the key, HSK glossary and a CD of the sample listening questions.

 

 To be admitted to the test room, every examinee will be required to present his or her admission ticket and a photo-bearing ID certificate (ID card, passport or a residence permit). No candidates will be allowed to enter the test room without the afore-mentioned two evidences. The candidates whose admission ticket is missing can only be admitted to the test room till the ticket is reissued (with handling charges). Tape recorders, cameras, dictionaries, notebooks, textbooks and other unnecessary objects mustn’t be taken into the room. Mobile phones and MP3 shall be switch off and put inside bags, which shall be placed at an area designated by the invigilators.

 

 Candidates arriving five minutes late (since the start of listening comprehension test) may be admitted to the testing room and start the test right away. If examinees are 5 to 35 minutes late for the test, they may not start until the next section begins and no extra test time is to be offset for the late arrivals. Thirty-five minutes after the beginning of the exam, no candidates will be admitted to the test room.

 

1. Once in the test room, candidates shall put the admission ticket and the ID certificate on the upper right corner of the desk for the inspection of invigilators. All the activities of the candidates are subject to the instructions of the supervisor.

2. Duration for HSK (Basic) is about 135 minutes; HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) about 145 minutes without break; and HSK (Advanced) about 180 minutes with a break after the written test. In principle candidates shall not leave the test room during the course of the test. If so under some exceptional circumstances, the candidate shall gain the permission from the supervisor.

3.  HSK has a strict control of the time limits for each section of the test and candidates shall answer the corresponding test questions within a given time period and avoid jumping to the later sections or turning back to the previous ones during the test.

4. Candidates shall not take the test papers or answer sheets out of the room, or tear apart, replace or copy the contents of the test.

5. Candidates shall abide by the test instructions and rules and those who violate the rules will be warned and not even allowed to continue the test by the organizer.

6.  Before answering the test questions, candidates shall fill in their names (Chinese and English), the test paper code, nationality code, the test center code and the candidate’s number according to the admission ticket. Candidates should also draw a bar like this [■] to indicate their sex. The test paper code is on the upper right corner. The nationality code is a fixed number created by the test center for each country and nationality for all HSK tests. For example, the code for Japan is 525, France 610, etc. The candidate’s number is a serial number of registration. The test center code is the number for the place where the test is held. For example, the admission ticket of a Japanese student called Kimula Yuko is like this.
While filling in the information, candidates should write the numbers first in the blanks on the left and then draw a bar on the corresponding numbers on the right like this [■].

7.  Answers should be made by drawing a bar like this: [■].