3. Description of the level scoring system for HSK Advanced:
　　
　　HSK has eleven score levels, among which levels 9-11 are the advanced level.
　　
　　Level 9 is proficient in Chinese at the advanced (low) level. Level 9 is the standard to obtain the certificate of HSK Advanced Grade C. This is also the requirement for a candidate to use Chinese as a communicative tool in ordinary work.
　　
　　Level 10 is proficient in Chinese at the advanced (mid) level. Level 10 is the standard to obtain the certificate of HSK Advanced Grade B. This is also the requirement for a candidate to use Chinese as a communicative tool in ordinary work.
　　
　　Level 11 is proficient in Chinese at the advanced (high) level. Examinees reaching level 11 can be regarded as qualified as an intermediate-level translator. Level 11 is the standard to obtain the certificate of HSK Advanced Grade A.
　　
　　4. Requirement for obtaining the certificate of HSK Advanced:
　　
　　(1) The candidate must secure the total score required for the corresponding grade of the certificate.
　　
　　(2) In the five subtests, the candidate must secure three of the four subscores for listening, reading, composition and oral tests required for the corresponding grade.
　　
　　(3) Two of the five subscores may be lower than the required minimum, (for the four subtests of listening, reading, composition and oral, only one subscore may be lower than the required minimum for the corresponding grade), but not lower than the required minimum scores for the next lower grade. In such case, the candidate can only be awarded a certificate of a lower grade.
　　
　　(4) None of the five subscores are allowed to be lower than the bottom line under Grade C.
　　
　　5. Components and test length of HSK Advanced:
　　The total test length is 2 hours and 35minutes.
　　HSK Advanced consists of three separately-timed subtests: 120-item written test (objective), composition and oral test. The 120-item test is organized into three subtests: listening, reading and cloze. A variety of objective question types will be used including multiple-choice, matching, gap-filling and writing Chinese characters. The oral test takes the form of an interview. During the time allowed for each section, examinees must work on that section only, and are nor permitted to work beyond the time limit for the section. Examinees are also not permitted to turn to a section that has not been announced or go back to a previous section.
　　
　　The test is taken in this order and timed as follows:
　　(1) Written test (objective) 120 items 105 minutes
　　(a) Listening 40 items approximately 25 minutes
　　(b) Reading
　　first section 15 items 15 minutes
　　second section 25 items 25 minutes
　　(c) Cloze 40 items 40 minutes
　　
　　
　　After the 120-item written test, there is a 10 minute test break. Then a composition and oral test follow.
　　(2) Composition 30 minutes
　　(3) Oral test 20 minutes
　　first stage preparation 10 minutes
　　second stage talk (recorded) 10 minutes
　　
　　(China.org.cn August 30, 2004)