HSK and YCT Levels
Find out which Chinese proficiency test you should take.
HSK (Level I)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for a semester (half an academic year)
- mastered 150 commonly used words and basic grammar patterns
HSK (Level II)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for two semesters (an academic year), with two to three class hours each week
- mastered 300 commonly used words and related grammar patterns
HSK (Level III)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for three semesters (one-and-a-half academic years), with two to three class hours each week
- mastered 600 commonly used words and related grammar patterns
HSK (Level IV)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for four semesters (two academic years), with two to four class hours each week
- mastered 1,200 commonly used words
HSK (Level V)
This is suitable if you have:
- have studied Chinese for two to four class hours per week for more than two academic years
- mastered 2,500 commonly used words
HSK (Level VI)
This is suitable if you have:
- mastered 5,000 or more commonly used words
HSK Speaking Test (Beginner Level)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for two to three class hours per week for one to two semesters
- mastered about 200 commonly used words
HSK Speaking Test (Intermediate Level)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for two to three class hours per week for one to two academic years
- mastered about 900 commonly used words
HSK Speaking Test (Advanced Level)
This is suitable if you have:
- studied Chinese for two to three class hours per week for more than two academic years
- mastered about 3,000 commonly used words
YCT (primary and secondary school level)
The Youth Chinese Test (YCT) is an international standardised Chinese language test. It examines non-native primary and secondary school students' ability to apply Chinese in their studies and daily lives.
It has four levels of writing tests and two speaking levels.
The written test is made up of four levels from YCT Level 1 to YCT Level 4.
YCT Level 1:
Intended for young students who:
- have mastered a vocabulary of about 80 words
- understand and use very common Chinese words and sentences
YCT Level 2:
Intended for young students who:
- have mastered a vocabulary of about 150 words
- understand and use very common Chinese words and sentences
- are able to cope with basic level communications
YCT Level 3:
Intended for young students who:
- have mastered a vocabulary of about 300 words
- are able to communicate simply on familiar day-to-day topics
- have reached the primary merit level of Chinese
YCT Level 4:
Intended for young students who:
- have mastered a vocabulary of about 600 words and above
- are able to communicate at a basic level in their daily, academic and personal lives
- are able to manage most forms of communication in Chinese when travelling in China
The oral test includes YTC-speaking (basic) and YCT-speaking (intermediate).
YCT-Speaking (Beginner level)
Intended for young students who:
- have studied Chinese for 1-2 semesters, with 2-3 class hours per week
- have mastered 200 commonly used words related to grammar patterns
YCT-Speaking (Intermediate Level)
Intended for young students who:
- have studied Chinese for more than two semesters, with 2-3 class hours per week
- have mastered 400 commonly used words and related grammar patterns