How to Prepare for HSK Exams

HSK exams consist of six levels, and each requires different proficiency. Read more about HSK level introduction here.

No matter which exam you want to take, here are some useful tips to help you pass the test.

1. Expanding your vocabulary.

There are certain vocabulary lists for every level. In order to learn the words, you can use different study tools that also help you to review. For levels 1-2 it’s enough that you understand the meaning of the word in listening and reading questions, but on levels 3-6 you have to be able to write  (or type if you take the computer test). Try to build a relatively large vocabulary so that for reading comprehension questions or cloze tests, you will have a better chance of answering the questions correctly. Also, a good vocabulary reduces the time you will spend on analyzing the grammatical structures of sentences because you may just work out a puzzled sentence more quickly by identifying the meanings of the words.

2. Find signpost words in sentences.

They are words that show the logic connections in sentences. There are several such words worth your notice in doing reading tasks as 然后，因为，所以，但是，因此，and 反而 . These conjunctions can help you filter unimportant messages and identify the important information, such as, the thesis of the text. As a matter of fact, many questions are based on such logical relations in the text.So it taking notice of these words is of great use to answering multiple choice questions.

3. Manage the time well.

When you feel stuck, do not just stop there and think about the problem endlessly. Put it aside and continue with the rest of the test. Maybe some relevant content will appear somewhere afterwards. Finish each section within blocks of limited time so that you can still have some time for checking your answer sheet before finally handing it in.

Extra tip: Our Chinese teacher Shasha has recorded a series of  highly acclaimed video tutorials about HSK exam preparation, watch them on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn95q4rBdmP1wWVAZ0244_Q

If you want to join a HSK prepartion course with Shasha, here to get started!