IGCSE Chinese as a Second Language (0523) Practice: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking

By the end you can

• Know the three parts of 0523. Reading and Writing (2 hours, with reading tasks, an email and a longer piece of writing), Listening (about 45 minutes) and Speaking (about 13 minutes), and how to back a view with a reason and an example.
  我觉得网上学习很方便，因为不用出门，比如下雨天我在家也能上课。 · Wǒ juéde wǎngshàng xuéxí hěn fāngbiàn, yīnwèi bú yòng chūmén, bǐrú xiàyǔ tiān wǒ zài jiā yě néng shàng kè. · Online learning is convenient: you don't have to go out, so on rainy days I can still have class at home.
• Find key details in notices, web pages and articles. A library notice, a volunteer page from a community centre and an article about a school clothes-swap day, with short answers, true or false, multiple choice and word-finding questions.
• Extra practice: make notes from a longer text and sum it up. Note the benefits, problems and solution in an article about rooftop vegetable gardens at city schools, then sum them up in about 80 characters. Extra practice: the 0523 paper has no summary task.
  屋顶菜园好处很多，但是需要大家帮忙。 · Wūdǐng càiyuán hǎochù hěn duō, dànshì xūyào dàjiā bāngmáng. · Rooftop gardens have lots of benefits, but they need everyone's help.
• Write a friendly email that answers every point. Plan an email of about 100 characters to a friend visiting your city: where you'll go, the weather and clothes, and what they like to eat. Link ideas with 如果, 虽然 and 但是.
  欢迎你来我的城市！ · Huānyíng nǐ lái wǒ de chéngshì! · Welcome to my city!
• Write an article that gives both sides and your view. Write 150 to 200 characters for the school magazine on whether secondary students should have part-time jobs: sort benefits and problems, join ideas with 虽然……但是……, then give your view.
  我认为中学生可以打工，但是学习最重要。 · Wǒ rènwéi zhōngxuéshēng kěyǐ dǎgōng, dànshì xuéxí zuì zhòngyào. · I think secondary students can have part-time jobs, but studying matters most.
• Catch times, places, facts and plans in recordings. Voice messages, a radio interview with a student who learned to cook, an aquarium guide, an interview about a 10 km race and a teacher's talk about a summer trip to Xi'an.
• Answer conversation questions in full. Turn short answers into full ones with 因为 and 比如, talk about home, school and free time, then give and explain views on the environment and your future with 如果……就…… and 我打算.
  我觉得年轻人可以从小事做起，比如少用塑料袋，多坐公共汽车。 · Wǒ juéde niánqīngrén kěyǐ cóng xiǎo shì zuò qǐ, bǐrú shǎo yòng sùliàodài, duō zuò gōnggòng qìchē. · I think young people can start with small things, like using fewer plastic bags and taking the bus more.

What’s inside

• The exam: The 0523 Exam on One Page
• Reading: Reading 1: A Notice and a Web Page · Reading 2: An Article · Extra Practice: Notes and a Summary
• Writing: Writing 1: An Email to a Friend · Writing 2: A Magazine Article
• Listening: Listening 1: Everyday Recordings · Listening 2: School and Community
• Speaking: Speaking 1: Home and School · Speaking 2: The Wider World
• Plan: Six Weeks to the 0523 Exam

How to use this book

Work through the book in order, then follow its six-week plan on page 13. Time yourself as in the exam, check each page with the key and model answers at the back, and learn ten words a day from your notes.

1. Week 1: Short texts and the article. Do Reading 1 and 2. Time yourself, mark with the key and list every word you missed.
2. Week 2: Notes and summary. Do the extra practice on page 6. Then make notes on one short Chinese article a day: three key points in your own words.
3. Week 3: Writing. Write the email and the article, then one more of each on a new topic, and check your linking words.
4. Week 4: Listening. Do Listening 1 and 2. Play each recording twice, read the script in the key, then listen once more.
5. Week 5: Speaking. Answer every speaking question aloud for one minute with a phone timer. Record yourself and listen back.
6. Week 6: Mixed timed sessions. Do one reading, one writing task, one listening and five speaking questions in one sitting. The day before the exam, read your best answers once and sleep well.

Who it’s for

Students preparing for Cambridge IGCSE™ Chinese as a Second Language (0523), usually students who already use Chinese at home or at school, and their teachers.

Before you start: Upper-intermediate Chinese, about HSK 4 to 5. The book uses Simplified characters and follows the 2026–27 syllabus, so check the latest details with your teacher.

Frequently asked questions

Is 0523 the right exam for me, or 0547?

The book explains that 0523 suits students who already use Chinese at home or at school but not as a first language. 0547 is for learners newer to Chinese and 0509 is for first-language users, and you can't take 0523 in the same exam series as either. Your teacher can confirm which fits you.

Is it in Simplified or Traditional characters?

Simplified. Exam texts may appear in both Simplified and Traditional characters, so if your school uses Traditional, practise reading both.

Where is the listening audio?

Free on this book's page on saymei.app. The listening recordings are heard only, with their scripts in the key, and every other Chinese line is recorded with a pause so you can say it back.

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 19-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

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.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

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