Effectiveness Analysis of IELTS and HSK Test Based on SVM in the Development of English Writing Ability

Introduction to HSK

HSK is an international standardized test (Hao, 2022). As early as 1984, the former Beijing Language and Culture Institute established the HSK Design Group, which was responsible for the research of HSK. This study started from the junior high school level test and has experienced 5 years of development (Wang, 2021). Experts agreed that this test can accurately measure the test taker. In 1992, the State Education Commission officially named it the Chinese proficiency test and set it as a national test at the same time (Bagheri & Riasati, 2016). By 1997, the National Chinese Proficiency Examination Committee had formed a relatively complete examination system for HSK, including basic, junior intermediate, and advanced levels.

To further improve and promote the development of HSK and meet the requirements of different candidates, Hanban, the Office of Chinese Language Council International, in 2003 began to develop special examination systems, including children, business, secretarial, and tourism. Subsequently, Hanban established the HSK Improvement Work Project Team in December 2006 to be responsible for the research and development of HSK improvement. The improved HSK is divided: Beginner and all other levels of the test include subjective and objective questions (Arham & Ariani, 2020). The subjective papers test speaking and writing skills, whereas the objective papers test listening and reading skills (Clark & Yu, 2021). However, the exposed defects are becoming more and more obvious (Jusmaya, 2019). To make HSK better serve Chinese learners, Hanban has organized experts in Chinese and foreign language education, psychology, linguistics, and educational measurement to fully investigate and understand the actual situation of overseas Chinese teaching and learn from the latest research on international language testing in recent years (Li, 2022). As a result, on the basis of retaining the advantages of the original HSK, in November 2009, the HSK based on the theory of communicative linguistics was launched. This test follows the principle of “combining testing and teaching” (Ma, 2021). The design of the test closely integrates the current Chinese teaching situation with the use of teaching materials, with the purpose of “promoting teaching by testing” and “promoting learning by testing”(Peng et al., 2021). Table 1 shows the required vocabulary and standards for different levels of the HSK test.