Mandarin language tests help efficiently assess a candidate's level of proficiency in reading and writing in Mandarin.
Mandarin is considered one of the top business languages in the world. As such, a Mandarin proficiency test could be useful in the hiring process to assess candidates' fluency.
A Mandarin language test is a quick and simple way to test how well someone might perform in a role where Mandarin is required.
The test objectively evaluates a candidate's proficiency in reading and writing in Mandarin. The test assesses grammar and vocabulary, comprehension, sentence structure, and understanding of nuances in everyday speech to determine someone’s level of fluency.
Mandarin Language Test
Mandarin is one of the many dialects of Chinese, spoken across the majority of northern and southwestern China. It is spoken by 730 million people and is the official language of Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore.
A Mandarin test is useful in the hiring process to assess candidates' fluency in this language, should it be a prerequisite for the role.
Recruiters and hiring managers want to source the most qualified candidates, but can often have a hard time determining the precise level of fluency a candidate has in a language. This is particularly true if they do not speak the language to a high level themselves.
Some companies may receive hundreds of applicants with a seemingly similar level of proficiency in Mandarin, so how can you determine the strongest candidates?
A Mandarin language test helps solve this problem with a fair and accurate way to assess a candidate's linguistic proficiency. The test can be administered to a large pool of candidates, providing comparative data which can then be used in the shortlisting process.
The test assesses candidates on basic grammar, reading comprehension, and formal idioms, which allows recruiters and hiring managers to see who best understands the language overall.
The highest-performing candidates can then be advanced to the next stage, while those who did not meet the required level of proficiency are eliminated. This makes for a much more efficient hiring process, where only the most qualified candidates are shortlisted.
Job roles for which Mandarin proficiency might be a prerequisite include:
The test does not require any other knowledge except language proficiency, making it general enough to be used for any position that requires Mandarin. The questions are presented in a multiple-choice format, which most candidates are familiar with, and allows for quick, objective grading.
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Results for the Mandarin Language Test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.
In Picked’s Mandarin language test, candidates will need to answer a range of questions covering grammar, spelling, vocabulary, common phrases, and reading comprehension. This assessment is in line with HSK 4 and 5.
The level of proficiency this assessment targets is equivalent to B2 Upper Intermediate on the Common European Framework, with some questions in the B1 Intermediate level and some in the C1 Advanced level.
The multiple-choice questions consist of one correct answer, and two to four other possible responses, which are called distractors. Distractors are common mistakes or misconceptions, and enhance the question’s ability to accurately measure a candidate’s proficiency.
This test was written, examined and revised by Mandarin language and psychometric experts, and field-tested with a representative sample of job applicants, who have varying degrees of fluency, just like you might find in a talent pool.
We rigorously reviewed and analysed the test during the development process to maximise its reliability and validity, in line with industry best practices.
In other words, this test empirically demonstrates consistency and measures the language as intended. Raw scores are provided, which are compared across candidates to see how they perform relative to one another.
This test has been reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues to maximise the candidate’s experience. This ensures each candidate has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of Mandarin proficiency and feels the test is reasonable.
We also continually monitor and analyse this test to check for fairness issues and to optimise performance.
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“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Chang Zhao is an inspirational and passionate language teacher with abundant experience teaching both English and Chinese as a foreign language.
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You might typically expect a candidate who is fluent to be able to read and recognize commonly used Mandarin characters, and understand key vocabulary and grammar structures to an intermediate level. They should also be able to comprehend topics related to contemporary issues in Chinese society, as well as know the difference between spoken and written Mandarin.
There are four core language skills when assessing language fluency: listening, speaking, reading and writing. To be considered fluent a candidate must be proficient in each one of them. Based on the specific role you’re looking to fill, some of them might be more important to you than others.
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