What is YCT?
The YCT is abbreviation of Chinese Pinyin: Shàoér Hànyǔ Kǎoshì (少儿汉语考试) is the series tests to assess the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers. The YCT is mainly for the young Chinese language learners under the age of 15.
In broad teams, YCT (HSK for younger learner) and HSK (Basic, Elementary-Intermediate and Advanced) can be defined as:
YCT Level 1 students have studied Chinese for roughly 80 hours and mastered a vocabulary of about 300 characters.
YCT Level 2 students have studied Chinese for roughly 150 hours and mastered a vocabulary of about 600 characters.
YCT Level 3 students have studied Chinese for roughly 250 hours and mastered a vocabulary of about 900 characters.
Time and Contents of YCT
YCT Level 1
| Sections | Question Number | Duration |
| Listening | 1-10 | About 10 minutes |
| Reading | 11-20 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 30 minutes |
YCT Level 2
| Sections | Question Number | Duration |
| Listening | 1-20 | About 20 minutes |
| Reading | 21-40 | About 20 minutes |
| Writing | 41-45 | 5 minutes |
| Total | 45 minutes |
YCT Level 3
| Sections | Question Number | Duration |
| Listening | 1-20 | About 20 minutes |
| Reading | 21-48 | 30 minutes |
| Writing | 49-50 | 10 minutes |
| Total | 60 minutes |