HSKK, the spoken Chinese proficiency test

HSKK is the speaking test for learners of Chinese. Candidates record answers to spoken or written prompts at the elementary, intermediate or advanced level. At the intermediate level, tasks include listening and repeating, describing pictures and answering questions, so practice can cover both reproducing a sentence and expressing an idea of your own.

Edited by Ender Soyuince ALAZ SmartSystems

Last updated: November 6, 2026

HSKK is a test of spoken Chinese in which candidates record their responses. The official speaking test overview lists elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. For the intermediate test, you repeat sentences you hear, describe pictures and answer questions. The three HSKK levels describe the earlier speaking format. In the revised HSK pilot, candidates registered for a speaking test named for the corresponding written level.

Imagine an English-speaking student practising with a photograph of a campus café. She knows the Chinese words for the counter, the tray and the cup. To turn that vocabulary into a spoken description, she explains who is carrying the tray and what happens when the cup tips over. Listening to her recording, she checks whether a classmate could follow the action. That gives her a specific speaking goal alongside her HSK preparation.