Language Requirement to Study in China: The HSK test

Chinese, which most popular dialect is the mandarin, is the teaching language of most Chinese University

While you can find some English taught degrees, usually taken by international students, it is possible for the ones mastering Chinese to join classes taught in Mandarin

In order to prove your proficiency in the language, you will have to pass the HSK which assess your level and is accepted by every Chinese universities.

What is the HSK and what is the required level?

The HSK test is similar to the TOEFL or IELTS ones, it aims to prove that your mandarin level is enough to study within a University or to work. 

Since 2008, the organisation that has been in charge of the test launched a simplified version with different scores, which sometimes lead to some confusion when looking at requirements of universities that haven’t updated their score yet.

The test is currently divided in 3 levels with 2 sub level for each. You can succeed either level with the mention pass or pass with honours. The minimum level required by Universities is the level 3 with a pass, which correspond to an intermediary level

Is it difficult to obtain the necessary level to pass the test?

Usually, someone who has been studying mandarin regularly for 2-3 years can achieve the level 5 or 6 which is the maximum for the HSK.

The best solution to maximize your chance is to move to China for two to three months after having taking some mandarin lessons. There are a lot of summer schools available that will allow you to practice the language and quickly improve