The Youth Chinese Test (YCT) is an international standardised Chinese language test, which is directed at examining non-native primary and secondary school students’ ability to apply Chinese language in their studies and daily lives.
YCT consists of two independent parts: written test and oral test.
The written test is made up of four levels from YCT Level 1 to Level 4.
YCT Level 1: for children who have mastered a vocabulary of about 80. Passed examinees can understand and use very basic Chinese words and sentences, and able to study further Chinese.
YCT Level 2: for children who have mastered a vocabulary of about 150. Passed examinees can understand and use very basic Chinese words and sentences, capable of very basic communication needs.
YCT Level 3: for children who have mastered a vocabulary of about 300. Passed examinees can produce simple and direct communication of their familiar day to day topic, reach the primary merit level of Chinese.
YCT Level 4: for children who have mastered a vocabulary of about 600 and above. Passed examinees can carry out basic communication tasks of life, study and work. They can answer most communication tasks during a travel in China.
The oral test includes YCT-Speaking (Basic) and YCT-Speaking (Intermediate).
The following table shows vocabulary needed, test duration and passing score:
| Equivalent to HSK | Vocabulary (Words) | Test Duration, Min | Total Score | Passing Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YCT Level 1 | – | 80 | 35 | 200 | 120 |
| YCT Level 2 | HSK Level 1 | 150 | 50 | 200 | 120 |
| YCT Level 3 | HSK Level 2 | 300 | 60 | 200 | 120 |
| YCT Level 4 | HSK Level 3 | 600 | 85 | 300 | 180 |
| YCT Speaking (Basic) | – | 19 | 100 | 60 | |
| YCT Speaking (Intermediate) | – | 21 | 100 | 60 |