Are you a student looking to obtain admission into a Chinese University? Are you a professional looking to prove how proficient you are in the Chinese language? If you can answer yes to either of these questions with a yes then taking the HSK proficiency test, also known as the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, is likely in your near future. The HSK test is much like the TOEFL for non-English speakers. The HSK test is a prerequisite for attending a Chinese university and can also be used by some professionals to exhibit their knowledge and proficiency in the Chinese language. To ensure that you are ready to pass the exam, you need to utilize the best resources possible. This list will provide you with some of the best HSK prep books to get you ready to score your highest score possible. Keep reading to see some of the best HSK review books that are offered to prepare you for the HSK test.
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Last update: 2024-05-01
Our Favorites for the Best HSK Prep Books
New HSK: Complete Vocabulary Lists: Word lists for HSK levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 by HSK Academy
New HSK: Complete Vocabulary Lists: Word lists for HSK levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is perfect if you are looking to learn Mandarin Chinese and is perfect for all levels. The book is extremely affordable and highly recommended. Some readers who have used the New HSK book say that although it is not a fun read, it is needed and beneficial.
What Makes It Unique?
- New HSK: Complete Vocabulary Lists: Word lists for HSK levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is unique because it contains a variety of words and characters for each HSK level.
- Aside from having words from each level, it also gives readers the pronunciation of words, provides the simplified and traditional Chinese characters for specific words and a Chinese to English Dictionary. More help is also available at hsk.academy.com.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- If you are looking for a companion guide and one of the best HSK review books, look no further. This book is also published by the HSK Academy, who specialize in producing materials to aid individuals in passing the HSK test.
- Academy, HSK (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 158 Pages - 05/11/2016 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Cracking Chinese Characters: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4: 1,000+ Frequent Characters Deciphered to Learn and Remember Them Faster by HSK Academy
Cracking Chinese Characters: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4: 1,000+ Frequent Characters Deciphered to Learn and Remember Them Faster focuses on making learning and recalling Chinese characters as easy as possible. This HSK prep book focuses on the first four levels of the exam. The HSK Academy also publishes this HSK study guide.
What Makes It Unique?
- Cracking Chinese Characters: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4: 1,000+ Frequent Characters Deciphered to Learn and Remember Them Faster provides the following for over 1200 words of level four and under:
- Traditional Chinese writing
- Simplified writing
- Pronunciation with phonetic clues
- The word’s decomposition
- The word’s definitive meaning
- It also offers a listing of 214 radical Chinese characters as well as indexes for pronunciation and radical search.
- Cracking Chinese Characters: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4 even provides details for each character, which includes how the character is built and hints for phonetics and semantics.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- If you are looking for a book that will help you decipher each character and serve as an all in one reference guide, this is the best HSK review book for you.
- Cracking Chinese Characters is perfect for anyone taking the HSK exam, levels four and under or for someone who is looking for the best ways to learn HSK grammar.
- Academy, Hsk (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 198 Pages - 10/23/2017 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation by Pinhok Languages
HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation is another highly recommended resource for passing the HSK exam. It is intended for students of all levels and contains 5000 words in total for each HSK level.
What Makes It Unique?
- HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation by Pinhok Languages is perfect for slowly bringing you up to speed with all the vocabularies that you will need to know. It comes equipped with English and Pinyin for each word.
- HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation should not be used as your only resource to study for the test. It only covers vocabulary and not the other portions of the exam, like grammar or listening.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- If you are looking for a resource which can be used throughout your HSK journey, level after level, this is the perfect text.
- HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation aims to strengthen your foundation of the language through its vocabulary.
- Languages, Pinhok (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 198 Pages - 09/10/2017 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
The Runner-Ups for the Best HSK Prep Books
Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2: The Quick and Easy Way to Learn Chinese Characters! (HSK Level 2 & AP Study Exam Prep Book) by Yi Ren
Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2: The Quick and Easy Way to Learn Chinese Characters! (HSK Level 2 & AP Study Exam Prep Book) is an excellent guide for aiding students in learning the essential Chinese characters. This workbook is perfect for students looking to self-study or uses it as a supplemental reference guide. The book contains the necessary characters and words which are needed to pass the HSK level 2 exam.
What Makes It Unique?
- Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2: The Quick and Easy Way to Learn Chinese Characters! (HSK Level 2 & AP Study Exam Prep Book) breaks down information in a way that is easy for readers to understand and simplifies character writing.
- This workbook contains a step by step guide to writing characters as well over 400 vocabulary words and corresponding sentences.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- Many users of the workbook described it as simple to use and easy to follow.
- Readers also said it is one of the best HSK prep books for learning to write Chinese characters.
- If you are a level one or level two student, this is the perfect be for you. Aside from merely teaching students to write efficiently and concisely, it also introduces a number of simple phrases.
- Ren, Yi (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 08/01/2017 (Publication Date) - Tuttle Publishing (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Reading and Writing Chinese: Third Edition, HSK All Levels (2,349 Chinese Characters and 5,000+ Compounds) by William McNaughton
Reading and Writing Chinese: Third Edition, HSK All Levels which has aided students in learning to read and write for decades. It comes full of helpful information for not just reading and writing Chinese, but gaining a deeper understanding of the language as a whole.
What Makes It Unique?
- Reading and Writing Chinese: Third Edition, HSK All Levels come full of more than 1700 of the most frequently used characters in traditional and simplified form.
- It also includes all 2633 characters, basic patterns of Chinese grammar, and needed compounds for the exam.
- If you are someone who needs a unique way to memorize things, the book also includes mnemonic phrases for ease.
- Aside from all the mentioned qualities, the indexes are done by alphabet as well as stroke count and stroke order.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- This book is excellent if you are looking for a resource for any level of the HSK exam or as a reference for traditional characters, as used in Taiwan or Hong Kong.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- McNaughton, William (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update: 2024-05-01
HSK Standard Course 1 Textbook [+ MP3/CD] by Jiang Liping
HSK Standard Course review books have been used all over the world for not only classroom learning but self-paced learning as well. The Standard Coursebooks are a trusted source as they are the joint efforts of the Chinese Testing Language International (CTI) and the Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
What Makes It Unique?
- HSK Standard Course 1 not only comes with the textbook but an mp3 and Cd as well. This allows students to not only read and study but actually hear pronunciations and practice them as well.
- It comes highly recommended by readers for the resources it provides as well as the organized structure of the book.
- This book is available in a Chinese and English version.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- HSK Standard Course 1 is perfect for the beginning Chinese student who is not only looking to read material but listen as well.
- Jiang Liping (Author)
- Chinese (Publication Language)
- 129 Pages - 01/01/2014 (Publication Date) - Beijing Language & Culture University Press,China (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-02
The Value Picks for the Best HSK Prep Books
Simulated Tests of the New Chinese Proficiency Test HSK (HSK Level 5) (Discs Included) by Dong Cui
Simulated Tests of the New Chinese Proficiency Test HSK is offered at all six levels of the HSK exam. The books contain a collection of exams which allow potential test-takers to get familiar with the format of the exam and gage their current knowledge level.
What Makes It Unique?
- The Simulated Tests of the New Chinese Proficiency Test HSK offers practice exams written by teachers of the TCSL or Teaching Chinese as a Second Language organization.
- The exams are all written concerning the general requirements for the HSK exam.
- These tests have also been vetted in a classroom setting and have proven to aid Chinese language students in improving their exam skills.
- The guide also comes with a collection of discs for computer-based studying.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- Simulated Tests of the New Chinese Proficiency Test HSK is perfect for the student who wants to focus on practicing for the exam.
- This guide doesn’t contain aid or help you to study, its purpose is to adequately prepare you for the style and format of the HSK exam.
- Dong Cui (Author)
- Chinese (Publication Language)
- 290 Pages - 01/10/2010 (Publication Date) - Beijing Language & Culture University Press (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters: Volume 1: (HSK Levels 1-3) A Revolutionary New Way to Learn the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters; Includes All Characters for the AP & HSK 1-3 Exams by Alison Matthews, Laurence Matthews
Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters: Volume 1 is for students looking to take Level 1, 2, or 3 of the HSK exams. This text comes recommended for retention of information and even pronunciation of words.
What Makes It Unique?
- Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters: Volume 1 is unique because it uses visual imagery to aid readers in remembering specific information.
- It also aids in helping users remember the order of strokes when writing a character.
- Characters are introduced in a logical sequence as well as providing information on the 800 Chinese characters and 1,033 compounds.
Why Choose this HSK Prep Book?
- If you are more of a visual learner, this is the perfect option for studying for the HSK exam.
- The book provides a creative and unique approach to learning Chinese, which, although harder for some, is excellent for someone who enjoys stories and is open to a unique style of learning.
- Being that there are various levels to this guide, it can be purchased at level one as a beginner or for a more seasoned student, at level 6.
- Matthews, Alison (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 384 Pages - 08/15/2007 (Publication Date) - Tuttle Publishing (Publisher)
Last update: 2024-05-01
Summary of the Best HSK Prep Books
To sum up, here are the HSK prep books we looked at today:
Last update: 2024-05-01
Overall, there are some resources available to you if you are looking to figure out how to pass the HSK exam. Though these resources vary by level, you will undoubtedly find something for everyone. If you are still in the beginning stages of the exam, at a level 3 and under, Cracking Chinese Characters: HSK 1, 2, 3, 4: 1,000+ Frequent Characters Deciphered to Learn and Remember Them Faster and Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters Volume 2: The Quick and Easy Way to Learn Chinese Characters! (HSK Level 2 & AP Study Exam Prep Book) by Yi Ren are great options for learning to write characters as well as obtaining your needed vocabulary lists. If you are looking for something to supplement all levels of the HSK exam, there are many options available to you. New HSK: Complete Vocabulary Lists: Word lists for HSK levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and HSK 1-6 Full Vocabulary Guide: All 5000 HSK Vocabularies with Pinyin and Translation by Pinhok Languages are two excellent options. There are several items on this list which can help you prepare for the HSK exam, all you have to do is pick the best HSK Prep guide for you.
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