HSK (Level I) assessestest takers’abilities in the application of everyday Chinese. It is the counterpart of theLevel I of theChinese Language Proficiency Scales for Speakers ofOther Languagesand the A1 Level of theCommon European Frameworkof Reference (CEF). Test takers who are able to pass the HSK (Level I) canunderstand and use very simple Chinese phrases, meet basic needs forcommunication and possess the ability to further their Chinese languagestudies.

I.Test Target

The HSK (Level I) isintended for students who have studied Chinese for a semester (half an academicyear), with 2-3 class hours in each week. These students have mastered 150commonly used words and basic grammar patterns. 

II. Test Content

HSK (Level I) test is madeup of listening comprehension and reading comprehension sections and contains atotal of 40 items. 

The test will last for40 minutes in total (including 5 minutes in which the test takers fill in personalinformation). 

1. ListeningComprehension

There are 5 items inPart I. The recording of each item will be played twice. A phrase and picturewill be provided with each item. The test takers should make a true-or-falsejudgment based on what they hear. 

There are 5 items inPart II. The recording of each item will be played twice. A sentence and 3pictures will be provided with each item. The test takers should choosecorresponding pictures based on what they hear. 

There are 5 items inPart III. The recording of each item will be played twice. A dialogue andseveral pictures will be provided with each item. The test takers should choosecorresponding pictures based on what they hear. 

There are 5 items inPart IV. The recording of each item will be played twice. For each item, aperson will make a statement. Another person will then ask a question andprovide three possible answers. The three possible answers will be listed onthe test paper, and test takers can choose one of the answers based on what theyhear. 

2. ReadingComprehension

There are 5 items inPart I. Each item will provide a picture and a phrase. The test taker shouldjudge whether or not they are consistent with each other. 

There are 5 items inPart II. The test paper will display several pictures. For each item, asentence will be provided. The test taker needs to choose one of thecorresponding pictures based on the content of the sentence. 

There are 5 items inPart III. During this section, 5 questions and 5 answers will be provided. Thetest take should match the question with the appropriate answer. 

There are 5 items inPart IV. Each item will display a sentence with one word missing. The testtaker should select one of the words in the answer section to fill in theblank. 

All items on the testpaper are shown in pinyin. 

III. ResultsCertificate

For the HSK (Level I),three results will be provided including listening, reading and total. The testtaker must score at least 120 points total to be considered passing. 

As a Chinese languagecertificate for foreign students’entry into Chinese colleges, the results of theHSK are valid for two years (beginning from the test date). 

Note: The aboveinformation is from the www.chinesetest.cn.