So far, Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for foreign students, is the most common way to measure Chinese proficiency in Korea. However, in recent years, the HSK exams have been blamed for being too easy for Koreans, and thus lacking in its assessment function. Many HSK applicants, some of whom are as young as middle school students, are getting the highest level score, HSK Level VI. Another problem with HSK is the fee, which people say can be lower and fairer. All examination fees are sent to the Chinese government.

On July 5, SNU announced that the SNU Language Education Institute (SNULT) and the Faculty of Liberal Education will be in charge of developing a new and better exam to replace HSK, which is to be completed in 3-5 years. The estimated investment amounts to up to 2-3 billion won.

SNU has already established a long-term policy on how to systemize Chinese language education, which will enable the school to start designing the new exam right away. If all goes as planned, the whole process of developing questions and pilot testing will be completed in one year. After that, trial tests and revisions are expected to follow for several more years.

The host organization to be in charge of managing the new exam after its development will either be SNULT or an entirely new entity devoted to the test, something similar to the TEPS Committee managing the TEPS exam, the English proficiency test created by SNU. The examination fee has not yet been decided, but it is likely that the price will be considerably lower than that of HSK. HSK has been widely criticized for being too expensive.

SNU’s new Chinese proficiency test will have three score levels -- beginner, intermediate, and advanced --, evaluating various aspects of language ability such as vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Developing separate tests for speaking and listening is under consideration as well.

When the development is completed, SNU is planning to give additional points to students who receive high scores on the new test applying for relevant graduate schools. In some cases, SNU might also allow the new exam to replace graduate examinations. These efforts will help the new language exam gain official recognition from other universities and companies, as it did in the case of TEPS.

According to Hanban (国家汉办), a branch of the Chinese Ministry of Education currently responsible for the HSK exams, 65,000 Koreans took the test last year, which accounts for a third of the entire number of test takers in the world. This means 4.3 billion won was transferred from Korea to the Chinese government for test fees last year alone. The situation has been more or less the same since HSK was introduced in Korea in 1993, because there was no other alternative.

An SNU official stressed that “the current HSK is tailored for European test takers, so it is not suitable for Korean students. In Korea, even middle or high school students who have yet to receive any college level education can easily get the highest level, which shows how HSK has lost its value as a language ability assessment tool. In fact, more than 10,000 people in Korea get the highest level every year. There are six different levels for HSK score results, and last year, almost 20 percent of Korean test takers earned the highest HSK score level.

HSK has been more than just a test. Because it was the only way to demonstrate one’s Chinese ability, Chinese education in Korea has been changed to better match the exam. Students are taught enough to get a good HSK score, but not challenged to do more than that after getting the highest level. It is now SNU’s job to come up with a better test to lead Chinese education in Korea in the right direction.

Written by LEE Sukyoung, SNU English Editor, sukyoung123n@gmail.com
Reviewed by Eli Park Sorensen, SNU Professor of Liberal Studies, eps7257@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by Brett Johnson, SNU English Editor, morningcalm2@gmail.com