If an institution names a test, use that test. Otherwise, choose HSK for a Mainland China credential, TOCFL for Taiwan study or work, ACTFL when a US school or employer uses it, and CEFR for language-neutral can-do goals. The Chinese Level Compass asks three questions in English and returns one recommendation you can email to yourself.
HSK and TOCFL are Mandarin testing systems. HSK is used for many Mainland China study and work requirements, while TOCFL is the credential designed in Taiwan. CEFR is a language-neutral framework built around what a learner can do. ACTFL describes functional performance by skill, so speaking, writing, listening, and reading can receive different ratings.
These systems are not one-to-one equivalents. Official crosswalks can provide broad orientation, but a label in one framework does not guarantee the same exam content or real-world performance in another. If a university, scholarship, employer, or testing program specifies a level, its requirement should override a generic conversion.
HSK and TOCFL publish preparation vocabulary. The HSK examination syllabus published in 2025 lists cumulative totals from 300 words at HSK 1 to 11,000 across HSK 7–9. TOCFL preparation guidance runs from 800 words at Level 1 to more than 8,000 at Level 6. These are exam-study targets, not promises of speaking fluency.
CEFR and ACTFL have no universal official vocabulary count. They describe communicative ability: what a learner can understand, say, read, or write in context. A course may attach its own word list, but that list is not the framework itself.
HSK has the broadest published global footprint among the Mandarin-specific exams on this page. China’s Ministry of Education reported 719,000 paid HSK test takers in 2024, with 1,477 test centers across 168 countries. Popularity is only a starting signal: TOCFL may be the required credential for Taiwan, while CEFR and ACTFL are multi-language proficiency frameworks that cannot be ranked by Mandarin exam volume. The quiz recommends by goal, not headcount.
The quiz uses your destination, writing preference, and learning priority to choose one framework. The result is guidance, not an official placement score, and private answers or email addresses are not placed in search metadata. Issuer names identify the systems compared; SayMei is not affiliated with or endorsed by their organizations. Research reviewed August 26, 2026.
After choosing a framework, inspect a real passage with the Chinese Text Analyzer, turn a word set into practice with the Chinese Worksheet Generator, or test the difference between a list and live ability through Chinese speaking practice.
Use the test named by your institution. Otherwise, choose HSK for a Mainland China credential, TOCFL for Taiwan study or work, ACTFL when a US school or employer uses it, and CEFR for language-neutral can-do goals.
No. HSK is a Mandarin exam syllabus and CEFR is a communication framework. Issuer crosswalks and independent specialist mappings disagree, so the Level Compass uses broad orientation bands rather than equal signs.
HSK and TOCFL publish vocabulary guidance for exam preparation. CEFR and ACTFL have no universal official word count because they describe communicative performance rather than one fixed vocabulary list.
Usually not precisely. Speaking, writing, listening, and reading develop unevenly. ACTFL explicitly rates skills separately, and TOCFL offers distinct test surfaces.
No. Issuer names identify the systems being compared; SayMei is not affiliated with or endorsed by their organizations. Official requirements should always be confirmed with the relevant issuer or institution.