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How HSK 7-9 writing is graded
The HSK 7-9 writing section has no answer key: every part is marked against a rubric. So here is the rubric itself, every criterion and what it is worth, what separates one band from the next, and a worked answer at each band with the correction. It is the same scheme this site grades against, not a summary of it.
Compared with HSK 6, the prescribed vocabulary rises by 5,000 words to 11,000, the CEFR band moves from C1 to C2, a translation (written) section is added. On the paper itself, true or false, sentence ordering and short answer appear for the first time, sentence gap-fill drops out.
HSK 3.0 · Writing · 2 graded parts with marking criteria · free to read, no account
What HSK 7-9 writing asks of you, officially
Length: practical writing, expositions, argumentations and specialized papers of considerable length.
What you write: practical forms of writing, expositions, argumentations and specialized papers.
Quality expected: clear viewpoints, largely clear structure, coherent language, correct format and appropriate expression, using a variety of rhetorical devices correctly.
Characters: the standard expects you to be able to handwrite the handwritten characters required by the Advanced Level criteria.
Higher in this range the standard asks for more. Band 8 expects relatively long articles, including academic papers, with clear structure, smooth and fluent language, sound logic, and comparatively rich idioms and rhetorical devices. Band 9 expects theses, dissertations and articles across genres, with coherent structure, strong logic, diverse and complex sentence patterns used correctly, and substantial, meaningful expression with rich literary grace.
Quoted from GF0025-2021, 《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》, the official standard published by China's Ministry of Education and effective from 1 July 2021. The criteria below are how this site marks against it.
Short composition
The candidate must write an essay of considerable length responding to a prompt (a short composition of 200 or more characters, or an extended argumentative composition of about 600 characters): a clear viewpoint, clear structure, sound logic, and coherent, idiomatic language, judged against the advanced standard.
下图为某市 2020—2024 年公共图书馆年借阅量的变化情况（2020 年约 120 万册，此后逐年上升，2024 年约 260 万册）。请对图表进行描述与分析，并谈谈你的看法，字数 200 字左右。
There is no answer key for this task. What you write is judged against the criteria below.
How it is marked
Marked against HSK 7-9 (CEFR C1-C2) on a 10 point scale, across 4 criteria weighted as below. This is the same scheme the grader on this site uses, not a summary of it.
Task achievement
worth 3 of 10Does the essay actually answer the prompt, stay on topic, and reach the expected length/development?
- No credit 0 pts
- blank, off-task, or wholly unrelated to the prompt.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- addresses the prompt only partially or far too briefly; key parts missing.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- answers the prompt with adequate development, minor gaps or padding.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- fully answers the prompt with well-developed, relevant content and appropriate length.
Grammar & accuracy
worth 3 of 10Sentence structures, particles, aspect (了/过/着), word order. Judge how often errors occur and whether they block meaning.
- No credit 0 pts
- so many errors the text is largely unintelligible.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- frequent errors that repeatedly obscure meaning.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- generally controlled; noticeable errors that rarely block meaning.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- accurate and varied structures; only occasional slips.
Vocabulary & expression
worth 2 of 10Range, precision, and naturalness of word choice for the level; measure words and collocations.
- No credit 0 pts
- vocabulary far too limited to convey the message.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- narrow or repeatedly misused vocabulary; frequent wrong word choice.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- adequate range with some imprecision or repetition.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- precise, varied, natural word choice appropriate to the level.
Coherence & cohesion
worth 2 of 10Logical flow, paragraphing, and use of connectives (因为/所以, 但是, 首先/然后, etc.).
- No credit 0 pts
- no discernible organization.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- ideas jump around; connectives missing or misused.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- mostly logical with some abrupt transitions.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- clear, well-linked progression of ideas throughout.
What each band looks like
Worked examples that fix where one band ends and the next begins. The grader is given these same examples, so they are what the marking is calibrated to.
我最喜欢夏天。
- Far too brief: states a preference but gives no reasons or development.
因为夏天的时候，我可以去游泳，也能和朋友一起去旅游，所以我最喜欢夏天。
我的家乡有很多好吃的。天气很热。人很好。我喜欢。有山。
- Disconnected short statements with no connectives or logical order.
Short composition
The candidate must write an essay of considerable length responding to a prompt (a short composition of 200 or more characters, or an extended argumentative composition of about 600 characters): a clear viewpoint, clear structure, sound logic, and coherent, idiomatic language, judged against the advanced standard.
有人认为“失败是成功之母”，也有人认为“成功才是成功之母”。请写一篇600字左右的文章，谈谈你的观点并加以论证。
There is no answer key for this task. What you write is judged against the criteria below.
How it is marked
Marked against HSK 7-9 (CEFR C1-C2) on a 10 point scale, across 4 criteria weighted as below. This is the same scheme the grader on this site uses, not a summary of it.
Task achievement
worth 3 of 10Does the essay actually answer the prompt, stay on topic, and reach the expected length/development?
- No credit 0 pts
- blank, off-task, or wholly unrelated to the prompt.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- addresses the prompt only partially or far too briefly; key parts missing.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- answers the prompt with adequate development, minor gaps or padding.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- fully answers the prompt with well-developed, relevant content and appropriate length.
Grammar & accuracy
worth 3 of 10Sentence structures, particles, aspect (了/过/着), word order. Judge how often errors occur and whether they block meaning.
- No credit 0 pts
- so many errors the text is largely unintelligible.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- frequent errors that repeatedly obscure meaning.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- generally controlled; noticeable errors that rarely block meaning.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- accurate and varied structures; only occasional slips.
Vocabulary & expression
worth 2 of 10Range, precision, and naturalness of word choice for the level; measure words and collocations.
- No credit 0 pts
- vocabulary far too limited to convey the message.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- narrow or repeatedly misused vocabulary; frequent wrong word choice.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- adequate range with some imprecision or repetition.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- precise, varied, natural word choice appropriate to the level.
Coherence & cohesion
worth 2 of 10Logical flow, paragraphing, and use of connectives (因为/所以, 但是, 首先/然后, etc.).
- No credit 0 pts
- no discernible organization.
- Weak 1 to 4 pts
- ideas jump around; connectives missing or misused.
- Adequate 5 to 7 pts
- mostly logical with some abrupt transitions.
- Strong 8 to 10 pts
- clear, well-linked progression of ideas throughout.
What each band looks like
Worked examples that fix where one band ends and the next begins. The grader is given these same examples, so they are what the marking is calibrated to.
我最喜欢夏天。
- Far too brief: states a preference but gives no reasons or development.
因为夏天的时候，我可以去游泳，也能和朋友一起去旅游，所以我最喜欢夏天。
我的家乡有很多好吃的。天气很热。人很好。我喜欢。有山。
- Disconnected short statements with no connectives or logical order.
Ready for the whole paper?
These are single questions with the answers next to them. The exam is all 91 of them under the real clock, with audio that plays once. Your first HSK 7-9 mock is free.
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