HSK 1 exam structure
The HSK 1 test is structured into a listening and reading part. The exam lasts 40 minutes starting with 5 minutes of filling in your personal details on the exam sheet followed by around 17-18 minutes for each of the two parts (listening and reading). Both listening and reading consist of 20 questions each totalling in 40 questions for the test overall. Below we have laid out the test structure in more detail so you know what to expect:
HSK 1 listening part
Questions 1-5: You listen to a sentence or short phrase twice and then need to determine whether the image shown has anything to do with the text you listened to or not.
Questions 6-10: You again need to listen to a sentence or short text twice and then determine, which of the three pictures presented to you on the test sheet best corresponds to what you heard.
Questions 11-15:
Questions 16-20: You listen to a sentence/question pair twice. First a sentence or short phrase is read by one voice followed by another voice asking a question based on that sentence. You then need to determine which of the options presented to you on the exam paper best answers the question.
HSK 1 reading part
Questions 21-25: You are presented with a picture and a vocabulary or phrase and you need to determine whether or not the two have anything to do with each other.
Questions 26-30: On the exam paper you see several images with letters (more than in the picture above). Your task is then to read the sentence or phrase and put in the letter for the image that best corresponds with the phrase.
Questions 31-35: You see five questions on the left with five answers on the right. Each of the answers has a letter associated with it and your task is to match up each question with the right answer by putting the correct letter in the box next to the question.
Questions 36-40: The final task is to take some words presented on the top (all with letters in front of them) and correctly put them into sentences by adding the corresponding letter into the gap.
How to prepare for HSK 1
There is no right or wrong way to prepare for HSK 1. The most important thing is to familiarize yourself with all 150 HSK 1 vocabularies and with the grammar patterns for HSK 1, both of which are described in more detail below. Apart from that, there are a couple of things that might help you with your preparation:
HSK 1 practice tests
Once you have internalized all 150 HSK 1 vocabularies and the grammar patterns, mock exams are probably the most efficient way to prepare for the exam itself. Below you can find 4 websites that provide a number of past exam papers for you to go through:
Confucius Institute of Manchester University
Hanban / Chinesetest.cn
Confucius Institute of Emory University
- China Education Center
Easy Download and E-book
How much does HSK 1 cost?
Fees for HSK tests vary depending on country and test centre. When writing this article (March 27, 2019), the fee for HSK 1 at the Confucius Institute in Nebraska was USD 20, at Hong Kong University it was HKD 260. So costs do vary and will probably change over time, simply contact your test centre or teacher for more information.
Can I take HSK 1 online?
Yes and no. There is now a 网络考试 available, however, to take that test, you would still have to go to a test centre that supports computer based HSK tests and take the test there. So strictly speaking, you would take the test online (as in on a website or web application), but not from the comfort of your home. For details on that it’s best to talk to your closest test centre.
Where can I take the HSK 1 test?
You can use the “Search Test Center” functionality on Chinesetest.cn to look for a test centre closest to you. If you want to take the test on a computer, make sure the test centre supports that option.
How can I register for HSK 1?
You can either register online on Chinesetest.cn or directly at the test centre closest to you.
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