Free Mandarin Chinese level test with certificate

The Science of Apps Mandarin Chinese Level Certificate is a free 30-minute online test of grammar, vocabulary and characters, reading and listening, reporting your level from 1 to 6 on the scale learners know from the HSK. You get an instant level and a verifiable certificate for your CV and LinkedIn. It is not the official HSK. A free skills credential for your CV, LinkedIn and job applications. Not proctored, and not accepted for visas, immigration or university admission.

Yes. Taking the test, receiving your certificate as a PDF and by email, adding it to LinkedIn and having it verified are all free, with no sign-up. The certificate states your level on the Chinese levels 1–6 (for example Level 3). It has a credential ID and QR code anyone can check.

No. A free skills credential for your CV, LinkedIn and job applications. Not proctored, and not accepted for visas, immigration or university admission. If an embassy, university or regulator asks for a language test, take the one they name.

Each test has 4 questions at every level, one per skill, so it can tell what you handle comfortably and where you start to struggle. Your level is the highest one at which you answer at least 3 of its 4 questions correctly, as long as you got at least half right at every level below it. If no level qualifies, the result is below Level 1, with no certificate.

Grammar, Vocabulary & Characters, Reading and Listening: Grammar (verb forms and tenses, sentence structure and agreement, complex and formal structures); Vocabulary & Characters (characters and pinyin, everyday and workplace words, chengyu and precise meaning); Reading (signs, notices and messages, main ideas and detail, inference, attitude and tone); Listening (numbers, times and facts, announcements and conversations, implied meaning and tone).

Yes. The bank holds 72 questions, so a retake draws questions you haven't seen. If your result is below Level 1 you can retake after 30 minutes.

No. HSK is administered by Chinese Testing International. This free test uses a 1–6 level scale so you know which HSK level to aim for.

Simplified characters, as used in mainland China and Singapore.

Level 1 questions are simple; higher levels use characters only, as real texts do.

Yes. The test and certificate are free.

No. Those require official HSK scores. This certificate shows your skills on a CV or LinkedIn.

One question per skill at each level; your level is the highest where you get three in four right, provided no lower level falls below half.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.