HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), also known as the Chinese Proficiency Test has attracted more than 2,000 overseas applicants this year, setting a new record, a source from the Beijing Language and Culture University, according to the major test organizer Wednesday.

   By December 6, the application deadline, more than 2,700 overseas students had signed up for the test, about 1,000 more than last year.

   HSK is a national standardized test designed and developed by the HSK center at the  Beijing Language and Culture University to assess the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers, including foreigners, overseas Chinese and students from Chinese national minorities.

   HSK is divided into three categories, according to level of proficiency i.e. basic, intermediate and advanced levels.
   This year, as in the past, test applicants are mostly from Japan and South Korea.

   A staff member from the application site at Beijing Foreign Studies University says that China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) makes the rest of the world more confident about China's market potential, and mastering Chinese is a necessary prerequisite to access China's market. Therefore the HSK test is sought after this year.

   An applicant from Republic of Korea (ROK) said, " a ' Certificate of Chinese Proficiency' will not only be a reward for my long study of Chinese, but also will give me an upper hand in job hunting.

   The certificate has now become a necessity for job seekers in the Chinese branches of some South Korea-based companies including Samsung and Daewoo.

   Records show that since 1990 China has offered the HSK test worldwide. Examination sites have been set up in 24 countries including Japan, ROK, Singapore, Canada, Australia, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Russia.   

  In China 350,000 people from over 100 countries have done the test.