New HSK vs old HSK

[Very Big Cow]

Hi everyone. This post might be a bit of a blast from the past - but I'd like to get everyone's opinion about new HSK. It's been nearly five years since I've formally studied Chinese, and I've just come back to Shanghai after a three-year stint in Hong Kong where I spoke very little Mandarin. My work leaves me with a bit of spare time over the next few months, and I thought it might be productive to study Chinese again with the aim of passing a test, and it look like HSK is still the main one on the market.

 

So when I was studying Chinese last time round, I was working on the old HSK (I was aiming for a level 6, but I think got a 5). At the time, new HSK was on the horizon, and there was very much an attitude that you do the 'harder' old HSK, before the 'easier' new HSK replaced it.

 

So now that New HSK isn't so new anymore, I was wondering how people think it stacks up against the older test. It does seem more practical, with a written and spoken element - and for some reason people seemed to think that's a bad thing!

 

I must admit however, that was something unforgiving about the Old HSK, especially in the way it was full of trick questions. I also enjoyed its woefully out-of-date vocab (无产阶级，核弹头，农药）

 

I picked up vocabulary books for level 5 & 6 for the current HSK, and I found that I knew about 80% of the level 5 book, and a good chunk of level 6. But knowing words is one thing - being able to recognize them in listening section and use them in the speaking section is another.

 

And one more question, what's the best all round book for preparing for HSK? I used to use　ＨＳK全攻略, which I thought was pretty good. Any suggestions would be appreciated, as I see a lot of sample test books, but not many focused text books.

 

[stapler]

A bit off topic, but why do you think 農藥 is "woefully out of date?" 

[tysond]

Because of 有机农业, 同志。

[Very Big Cow]

农药 might not have the obselecent cold war flavour of the other two, but it is not the most practical of words for the foreign learner - especially in China now, and it's current changing economy.

[L-F-J]

Huh? We still have to wash our vegetables thoroughly to get rid of the 农药 before cooking every day. Vegetables don't come frozen in bags at the grocery store like in the west. Or at least, Chinese aren't used to getting vegetables like that. They are bought at the 菜场 then brought home and washed. 

[roddy]

Back on topic...

 

I think the changes have meant we have a more robust and coherent set of exams - the way the productive skills were left out at the 初中 level was always hard to defend, as was the fact that there was a single '初中' exam. But I have a certain nostalgia for the arcane, take-no-prisoners, old-style HSK, and I don't think many people (outside of Hanban, maybe) would deny that a top grade on the new HSK doesn't match up to a top grade on the old one.