On Sunday, 21st April , the iconic Clocktower at the University of Auckland hosted the first HSK exam of 2024, with nearly a hundred candidates from wider Auckland participating. The examinees ranged from students of various educational levels, spanning from primary to tertiary education, as well as learners from community Chinese schools and individuals from diverse backgrounds, with ages ranging from 5 to over 50 years old.

Since 2007, the Confucius Institute at the University of Auckland has been promoting Chinese language and proficiency exams in New Zealand, having provided HSK exams for tens of thousands of Chinese learners across the country. The professional team of supervisors, comprised of local Chinese-language teachers and assistants from China, is known for its rich experience and dedicated work, consistently ensuring the smooth running of examinations at all levels.

Several schools organized their students to participate in the exam. Thirty-seven students from a community tutoring school in West Auckland sat in the HSK Level 3-5 exams this time. Lead teacher Ms Li of the school expressed in the interview that when the students heard about the opportunity to participate in the internationally standardized HSK exam, they were all excited and eager to take on the challenge. She also believes that compared to regular assessments, HSK reflects students’ overall language abilities more comprehensively, serving as both an evaluation of past teaching achievements and a reference for future educational goals. The exam has also ignited students’ enthusiasm for learning Chinese and enhanced their intrinsic motivation for further studying. Ms Li further indicated that the group registration service provided by CI streamlined the process, greatly facilitating parents and students, and facilitating the smooth promotion and organisation of the exams.

Gisa, who previously participated in Level 1 last December and achieved excellent results, returned this year. She highlighted the excellent organisation of the exam team and plans to challenge herself with the Level 3 after completing her master’s studies at the end of the year.

Zoe-Robin, an HSK Level 4 candidate, mentioned that one reason she took the exam was her intention to apply for scholarships to study in China. She also found the exam helpful for reviewing, consolidating, and improving her Chinese language skills, which in turn benefits her teaching practices, as many of her students are from China.

Students of Chinese descent Sihua and Lechen, from a local community tutoring school, participated in the HSK Level 6 this time. As learners who have been studying Chinese for years, they acknowledged the professionalism of the exam team. What they both found impressive were the clear instructions and guidance provided by the examiners. They are confident in participating in this year’s HSK levels 7-9 online exams.