我打算参加6月5日的汉语水平考试。

I plan to take the Chinese Proficiency Test on 5th June this year. I've been studying for around three years now, and am ready to get some formal validation of the work I've put in and the progress I've made.

I would normally have to travel to an official test centre to take this exam, but due to the current pandemic, the exams can be taken from home (although there is strict requirements to maintain quality standards). The HSK is specifically designed to test those learning Mandarin as a foreign language.

You can book a HSK exam here.

I've decided to take HSK level 3, which covers about 600 commonly used characters, along with intermediate grammar points. This is tested in three ways - listening, reading and writing. In preparation, I've written down a list of characters I'm not as confident about as well as purchasing this HSK3 textbook which is actually super helpful.

I need to take some mock exams, and study a little every day. I especially need to work on my listening as I find this much more difficult than reading and writing. I've always been a visual learner so I know that reading is always going to be easier for me to pick up than listening.

You can find out what type of learner (Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic) you are here.

It's also possible to take a separate speaking exam, also known as the HSKK. This can be taken in 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. I will likely take these along with higher level HSKs.