HSK 5 Speaking Mock Test (HSKK): 2 Practice Papers with Audio

By the end you can

• Sit two full HSK 5 speaking papers on a timer. Papers A and B each have 5 questions in about 23 minutes, in the new HSK 5 speaking format (HSK 3.0), with a track that times every answer.
• Retell a story you hear once. Part 1 has two short stories per paper, such as a bookshop that starts reading to children. You have 1.5 minutes to retell each in your own words.
  李老板开了一家饭馆。 · Lǐ lǎobǎn kāi le yì jiā fànguǎn. · Mr Li opened a restaurant.
• Tell the story in three photos. Part 2 gives you three photos, 3 minutes to prepare and 2 to speak: tomatoes on a balcony in Paper A, helping a neighbour with her shopping in Paper B.
  春天到了，小雨想在阳台上种一些菜。 · Chūntiān dào le, Xiǎoyǔ xiǎng zài yángtái shang zhòng yìxiē cài. · Spring came, and Xiaoyu wanted to grow some vegetables on her balcony.
• Give and support a view for two and a half minutes. Part 3 has two printed questions per paper, with 3.5 minutes to prepare: working from home, fighting to pay the bill, income or interest in a job, and a well-known saying.
  一分钱一分货 · yì fēn qián yì fēn huò · you get what you pay for
• Learn how a strong answer opens and builds. Every Part 2 and Part 3 question has an outline in Chinese and English, and the model answers show how to frame a view before giving reasons.
  这个问题我想了很久。 · Zhège wèntí wǒ xiǎng le hěn jiǔ. · I've thought about this question for a long time.
• Check every prompt and model answer. The transcripts print each story and model answer in Chinese with an English translation, and the timing sheet shows when each answer window starts.
• Score your own recording. Give each answer 0 to 3 for task, pronunciation and tones, fluency, and words and grammar, then use your percentage to pick the part to practise next.

What’s inside

• Paper A: Paper A · 5 questions
• Paper B: Paper B · 5 questions
• Timing: Timing sheet
• Transcripts: Transcripts and model answers
• Scoring: Scoring guide

How to use this book

Each paper takes about 23 minutes to sit and longer to score. Sit Paper A, wait a day to score it, then sit Paper B a few days later.

1. Before you start: Set up. Print the paper, open the free audio page and get your phone ready to record. Sit somewhere quiet.
2. About 23 minutes: Sit Paper A. Play the whole-paper track and never pause it. Each story plays once, and the Part 3 questions are printed, not read aloud.
3. During prep time: Outline, don't script. Write three or four steps, then speak from them after the beep.
4. The next day: Score it. Play your recording with the scoring guide on page 16, then read the model answers from page 8.
5. A few days later: Sit Paper B. Use it as your rehearsal and compare the two percentages.

Who it’s for

Upper-intermediate learners preparing for the HSK 5 speaking test on the new HSK 3.0 exam, and teachers who want two timed speaking papers with audio for a class.

Before you start: The HSK 5 words and grammar. The transcripts give English but no pinyin, so you should be reading HSK 5 characters comfortably.

Frequently asked questions

What's in each paper?

Papers A and B each have 5 questions in about 23 minutes. Part 1: retell two short stories, each heard once, in 1.5 minutes each. Part 2: tell the story in three photos, with 3 minutes to prepare and 2 to speak. Part 3: give your view on two printed questions after 3.5 minutes to prepare, from income or interest in a job to a well-known saying.

What level do I need?

The HSK 5 words and grammar. The transcripts give English but no pinyin, so you should be reading HSK 5 characters comfortably.

How do I sit it at home?

Print the paper, open the free audio page and play the whole-paper track without pausing. Each story plays once, and the Part 3 questions are printed, not read aloud. In the prep time, write three or four steps, then speak from them after the beep. Record yourself on your phone.

How do I get a score without an examiner?

Record yourself, wait a day, then play the recording with the scoring guide on page 16 beside you. Give each answer 0 to 3 for task, pronunciation and tones, fluency, and words and grammar, out of 60 points a paper. Marks for the new speaking papers have not been published, so the guide is SayMei's own and gives you a percentage to track, not a pass mark.

How do the model answers help?

Every Part 2 and Part 3 question has an outline in Chinese and English, and the model answers show how to frame a view before you give reasons. The transcripts print each story and model answer in Chinese with an English translation.

What can I use after it?

HSK 5 Mock Test 2 and HSK 5 Mock Test 3 each end with a timed 5-item speaking paper in the same format, inside a full practice exam with listening, reading and writing.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

HSK 5 Reading Practice: Articles, Arguments & Detail · HSK 5 Paraphrasing & Written Responses · HSK 5 Vocabulary Workbook: Collocations, Word Families & Recall · HSK 5 Mock Test: Practice Test in the New HSK Format · Browse all 294 workbooks