HSK 3.0 · HSK 5 · Writing · Part 2

HSK 5 Writing Part 2: Write a Short Piece

This part tests whether you can write a short, coherent piece of Chinese. 2 questions — answer format: write about 80 characters.

2Questions in this part
Part 2 of 2Writing section
~40 minWhole Writing section
By an examinerMarking
Not printedPinyin

How HSK 5 Writing Part 2 works

Two short pieces of about 80 characters each: one using a set of given words, and one about a picture.

Markers look for a coherent short text — a beginning, a development and an end — that uses every given word correctly. Accuracy matters more than length, but you should reach roughly 80 characters.

The instruction on the paper

写一篇短文。

Write a short piece on the prompt below.

HSK 5 Writing Part 2 sample questions with answers

3 questions from our practice bank, in the format of the real paper. Try each one before opening the answer.

Sample 1
  1. 请用下面的词语写一篇不少于80字的短文。

    qǐng yòng xià miàn de cí yǔ xiě yī piān bù shǎo yú 80 zì de duǎn wén 。

    Write at least 80 characters using the five given words.

    • 坚持
    • 习惯
    • 效果
    • 放弃
    • 改变

    Target length 80 characters

    Show a model answer

    去年我开始学游泳,一开始怕水,几乎想放弃。教练说,先别急着看效果,把它变成习惯就好。于是我每周去三次,慢慢地坚持了下来。三个月后,我不但能游一千米,连做别的事情的态度也改变了。

    qù nián wǒ kāi shǐ xué yóu yǒng , yī kāi shǐ pà shuǐ , jī hū xiǎng fàng qì 。 jiào liàn shuō , xiān bié jí zhe kàn xiào guǒ , bǎ tā biàn chéng xí guàn jiù hǎo 。 yú shì wǒ měi zhōu qù sān cì , màn màn dì jiān chí le xià lái 。 sān gè yuè hòu , wǒ bù dàn néng yóu yī qiān mǐ , lián zuò bié de shì qíng de tài dù yě gǎi biàn le 。

    What the marker looks for
    • 用上了全部五个词语
    • 不少于80字
    • 有开头、经过和结果
    • 句子之间连接自然
Sample 2
  1. a school

    请结合下面的图片写一篇不少于80字的短文。

    qǐng jié hé xià miàn de tú piàn xiě yī piān bù shǎo yú 80 zì de duǎn wén 。

    Write at least 80 characters based on the picture.

    Target length 80 characters

    Show a model answer

    这是我上学时的教学楼。每天早上七点半,我都会和同学一起走进这扇门。那时候我并不觉得这段路有什么特别,直到毕业以后才发现,最让人怀念的往往不是考试的成绩,而是每天走过的这条路。

    zhè shì wǒ shàng xué shí de jiào xué lóu 。 měi tiān zǎo shàng qī diǎn bàn , wǒ dū huì hé tóng xué yì qǐ zǒu jìn zhè shàn mén 。 nà shí hòu wǒ bìng bù jué dé zhè duàn lù yǒu shén me tè bié , zhí dào bì yè yǐ hòu cái fā xiàn , zuì ràng rén huái niàn de wǎng wǎng bú shì kǎo shì de chéng jì , ér shì měi tiān zǒu guò de zhè tiáo lù 。

    What the marker looks for
    • 内容与图片相关
    • 不少于80字
    • 有具体的细节
    • 结尾有自己的看法
Sample 3
  1. a suitcase

    请结合这张图片写一篇80字左右的短文。

    Write a short piece of about 80 characters about the picture.

    Target length 80 characters

    Show a model answer

    放假了,我拿着行李箱准备去旅行。以前我总是带很多东西,箱子重得拿不动。这次我只带了几件衣服和一本书,走起路来轻松多了。我发现,旅行最重要的不是带多少东西,而是带着一个好心情出发。

    What the marker looks for
    • 内容和图片有关
    • 80字左右
    • 有开头、经过和感想
    • 句子之间连接自然

How to approach it

  1. Sketch a tiny story or argument that links all the given words.
  2. Plan three parts: the situation, what happened, the result or a feeling.
  3. Write simple, correct sentences and link them with 因为, 所以, 后来, 于是.
  4. Count roughly and check every given word is there.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving a given word out.
  • Writing five unrelated sentences instead of one piece.
  • Stopping well short of the length.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in HSK 5 Writing Part 2?

2. It is part 2 of 2 in the HSK 5 Writing section, which has 10 questions and lasts about 40 minutes, for 100 points.

How is HSK 5 Writing Part 2 marked?

By trained examiners, not automatically. Your answer is marked against set criteria: whether the task is done, how accurate and varied the language is, and how well it is organised.

Is pinyin printed at HSK 5?

No. At HSK 5 the paper is printed in characters only, so you need to recognise the characters themselves.

Is 80 characters a minimum?

It is the target. Aim for about 80; a much shorter piece loses marks for not completing the task.

Do punctuation marks count?

Punctuation takes a square on the answer sheet, but aim for about 80 characters of text.

Can I practise HSK 5 Writing Part 2 online?

Yes. HSK Test has practice sets for this part, built like the real paper. Create a free account to start; your answers and scores are saved, so you can see how you are improving.

Every part of HSK 5

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