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Key Facts: Mandarim (Prova 848) Exam

848

National exam code for Mandarim

EduQA Informação-Prova 2026

105 + 30 min

Duration: 105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance (written) and up to 15 minutes (oral)

EduQA Informação-Prova 2026

0–200

Scoring scale; admission minimums are set by institutions (never below 95)

JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026

€0 / €3

Free for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases

JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026

initial level (iniciação)

Reference level of the curriculum

Aprendizagens Essenciais / Orientações Curriculares

Portugal's Exame Nacional de Mandarim (848) is an 11th-grade national exam prepared by EduQA (formerly IAVE): 105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance (written) and up to 15 minutes (oral), scored 0–200. This free bank offers 100 English-language multiple-choice questions on Mandarin at the initial level (Orientações Curriculares, Língua Estrangeira III – Iniciação): pinyin, characters, grammar, reading and Chinese culture.

Sample Mandarim (Prova 848) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Mandarim (Prova 848) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Mandarin phonetics, what is the pronunciation rule when two third-tone syllables appear consecutively, such as in the greeting '你好' (nǐ hǎo)?
A.Both syllables change to the first tone (nī hāo).
B.The second syllable changes to a fourth tone (nǐ hào) while the first syllable remains unchanged.
C.Both syllables become neutral tones (ni hao) in everyday speech.
D.The first syllable changes to a second tone (ní hǎo) while the second syllable remains a third tone.
Explanation: According to the third-tone sandhi rule in Mandarin Chinese, when two third-tone syllables appear in sequence (3 + 3), the first syllable changes phonetically to a rising second tone (2 + 3). Therefore, '你好' (nǐ hǎo) is pronounced 'ní hǎo'. Note that in standard Pinyin orthography, the original third-tone mark is typically written as 'nǐ hǎo' despite this phonetic shift.
2What is the tone sandhi rule for the negation word '不' (bù) when it is immediately followed by another fourth-tone syllable, as in '不是' (bù + shì)?
A.It changes to a first tone (bū shì).
B.It becomes a neutral tone (bu shì).
C.It remains a fourth tone (bù shì) with no change.
D.It changes to a second tone (bú shì).
Explanation: The negation particle '不' (bù) has an inherent fourth tone, but when followed by another fourth-tone syllable, it undergoes tone sandhi and changes to a rising second tone (bú), as in '不是' (bú shì), '不要' (bú yào), and '不对' (bú duì). When followed by first, second, or third tones, it retains its original fourth tone (e.g., 不吃 bù chī, 不来 bù lái, 不好 bù hǎo).
3How do the tone sandhi rules apply to the numeral '一' (yī) in the phrases '一起' (yī + qǐ) and '一共' (yī + gòng)?
A.Both are pronounced with the original first tone (yīqǐ and yīgòng).
B.'一起' is pronounced with a second tone (yíqǐ), and '一共' is pronounced with a fourth tone (yìgòng).
C.Both change to a third tone (yǐqǐ and yǐgòng).
D.'一起' is pronounced with a fourth tone (yìqǐ), and '一共' is pronounced with a second tone (yígòng).
Explanation: The numeral '一' (yī) has an inherent first tone when counting, but undergoes two distinct tone sandhi shifts: before a fourth tone, it changes to a rising second tone (yí), as in '一共' (yígòng) and '一定' (yídìng); before first, second, or third tones, it changes to a falling fourth tone (yì), as in '一天' (yìtiān), '一年' (yìnián), and '一起' (yìqǐ).
4In standard Hanyu Pinyin spelling rules, when is the umlaut (the two dots) over the vowel 'ü' retained, and when is it dropped?
A.It is dropped after all consonants without exception.
B.It is retained after 'j', 'q', and 'x', but dropped after 'n' and 'l'.
C.It is only retained when the syllable carries a fourth tone.
D.Dropped after j, q, x, y; kept after n and l (nü, lü).
Explanation: In Hanyu Pinyin orthography, the vowel 'ü' loses its two dots when combined with the palatal initials 'j', 'q', 'x', or the zero-initial 'y' (becoming 'ju', 'qu', 'xu', 'yu') because these consonants never combine with the back vowel 'u', eliminating ambiguity. However, because 'n' and 'l' can combine with both 'u' and 'ü' (e.g., 'lu' vs 'lü', 'nu' vs 'nü'), the umlaut dots must be retained after 'n' and 'l' to distinguish minimal pairs.
5According to standard Pinyin rules, what is the correct hierarchy for placing tone marks over vowels within a syllable?
A.Tone marks are always placed on the initial consonant of the syllable.
B.Tone marks are always placed on the first letter of the syllable, whether consonant or vowel.
C.Tone marks are placed randomly depending on the tone pitch.
D.'a' takes highest priority; if absent, 'o' or 'e'; in combinations of 'i' and 'u', the mark goes on the second vowel.
Explanation: Tone mark placement in Pinyin follows a strict vowel order: 'a' always receives the tone mark if present. If there is no 'a', check for 'o' or 'e'. If both 'i' and 'u' appear together (as in 'iu' or 'ui'), the tone mark is placed on whichever vowel comes second (e.g., 'liú', 'guì').
6Which of the following Chinese words features a neutral tone (轻声 qīngshēng) on its second syllable in standard Mandarin?
A.北京 (Běijīng)
B.今天 (jīntiān)
C.中文 (Zhōngwén)
D.妈妈 (māma)
Explanation: In standard Mandarin, the second syllable of reduplicated kinship terms is pronounced with a light, short neutral tone (轻声 qīngshēng), without a tone mark: '妈妈' (māma), '爸爸' (bàba), '姐姐' (jiějie). In contrast, '北京' (Běijīng, 3rd + 1st), '今天' (jīntiān, 1st + 1st), and '中文' (Zhōngwén, 1st + 2nd) maintain full lexical tones on both syllables.
7What is the primary articulatory difference between the Pinyin initial consonants 'zh, ch, sh' and 'z, c, s'?
A.'zh, ch, sh' are nasal sounds produced through the nose, whereas 'z, c, s' are oral vowels.
B.'zh, ch, sh' are voiced plosives, whereas 'z, c, s' are voiceless glottal stops.
C.'zh, ch, sh' are retroflex (post-alveolar) consonants articulated with the tip of the tongue curled back, whereas 'z, c, s' are dental sibilants.
D.There is no phonetic difference; they are alternative spelling notations for identical sounds.
Explanation: In Mandarin phonetics, 'zh, ch, sh, r' are classified as retroflex initials (舌尖后音 shéjiānhòuyīn), pronounced with the tongue tip retracted or curled slightly against the back of the alveolar ridge. In contrast, 'z, c, s' are alveolar/dental sibilants (舌尖前音 shéjiānqiányīn), articulated with the tip of the tongue flat against the upper front teeth.
8What linguistic phenomenon does the suffix '-r' represent in phrases like '一点儿' (yìdiǎnr) and '玩儿' (wánr)?
A.A formal grammatical passive marker identical to '被' (bèi).
B.A structural particle indicating a past completed action.
C.Erhua (儿化): an r-coloured ending of the syllable
D.An interrogative marker used exclusively in written official documents.
Explanation: The suffixation of '儿' (ér) to words—known as Erhua (儿化音) or rhotacization—is a characteristic feature of standard Mandarin and Northern dialects. It modifies the rhyme of the preceding syllable with a retroflex curl, often indicating smallness, affection, colloquial warmth, or converting verbs/adjectives into nouns.
9Why is an apostrophe (隔音符号 géyīnfúhào) used in the Pinyin spelling of the city '西安' (Xī'ān)?
A.To show that the letter 'a' is capitalized.
B.To indicate that the speaker should pause for two full seconds between words.
C.To denote that 'ān' must be pronounced with a falling fourth tone.
D.To show the syllables are xī + ān, not xiān
Explanation: The syllable-dividing mark or apostrophe (隔音符号) is used in Pinyin when a syllable beginning with 'a', 'o', or 'e' directly follows another syllable without a space or hyphen. Without the apostrophe, 'Xī'ān' would be misread as the single syllable 'xiān' (先). Other examples include 'pí'ǎo' (皮袄 fur coat) vs 'piáo' (瓢 ladle).
10What happens to the pitch contour of a third-tone syllable when it is followed by a first, second, or fourth tone (known as the 'half third tone' or 半三声 bàn sānshēng)?
A.It rises sharply to the highest pitch (5-5).
B.It becomes a high falling tone identical to a fourth tone (5-1).
C.It is pronounced as a high level tone (5-5).
D.It only falls, without the final rise.
Explanation: A full third tone in isolation has a dipping contour (pitch 2-1-4: dipping down and rising up). However, when a third tone is followed by any non-third tone (first, second, fourth, or neutral tone), it undergoes 'half third tone' (半三声) sandhi: the speaker pronounces only the falling part (pitch 2-1) and omits the final rise (e.g., '北京' Běijīng, '很好' hěnhǎo when before another syllable).

About the Mandarim (Prova 848) Exam

The Exame Final Nacional de Mandarim (prova 848) is an 11th-grade national secondary exam in Portugal. Since the 2025 reorganization of the Ministry of Education (Decreto-Lei n.º 105/2025), exam papers are prepared by EduQA — Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação, I. P., which succeeded IAVE, and the exams are organized and graded under the Júri Nacional de Exames. Two components. Written component (105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance, 160 points): listening comprehension in the first 20 minutes, use of language, reading, and written interaction/mediation and production (prova 848: reading texts of 300–400 characters; writing tasks of 25–35 characters and at least 70 characters). Oral component (up to 15 minutes, 40 points): spoken interaction and production, held on separate dates. Items are written in Mandarin Chinese, with instructions in Portuguese. The exam covers Mandarin at the initial level (Orientações Curriculares, Língua Estrangeira III – Iniciação): pinyin, characters, grammar, reading and Chinese culture. It counts towards the subject's final grade and can be used as an admission exam (prova de ingresso) for higher education where a course requires it. This bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation with 100 original practice questions. It is not affiliated with EduQA or the JNE and does not reproduce the official paper or its constructed-response tasks.

Exam sponsor: EduQA, I. P. (exam papers; successor to IAVE since 2025) with the Júri Nacional de Exames (JNE). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Two components. Written component (105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance, 160 points): listening comprehension in the first 20 minutes, use of language, reading, and written interaction/mediation and production (prova 848: reading texts of 300–400 characters; writing tasks of 25–35 characters and at least 70 characters). Oral component (up to 15 minutes, 40 points): spoken interaction and production, held on separate dates. Items are written in Mandarin Chinese, with instructions in Portuguese.

Time Limit

105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance (written) and up to 15 minutes (oral)

Passing Score

Scored 0–200; counts 25% of the subject grade for internal students; admission-exam minimums are set by institutions (never below 95/200)

Exam / Certification Fees

€0 for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases; €25 + €3 per exam if registering late

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

~20% of this bank

Syntax and sentence patterns

Word order, negation, comparison, 把 and 被 sentences.

~20% of this bank

Measure words and particles

Classifiers and particles 的, 得, 地, 了, 着 and 过.

~20% of this bank

Reading and dialogues

Everyday dialogues and short notices.

~15% of this bank

Characters

Radicals, stroke order and character structure.

~15% of this bank

Chinese culture

Festivals, geography and customs.

~10% of this bank

Pinyin and tones

Tones, tone sandhi and pinyin spelling.

Preparing for the Mandarim (Prova 848) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 0–200; counts 25% of the subject grade for internal students; admission-exam minimums are set by institutions (never below 95/200)
  • Assessment: Two components. Written component (105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance, 160 points): listening comprehension in the first 20 minutes, use of language, reading, and written interaction/mediation and production (prova 848: reading texts of 300–400 characters; writing tasks of 25–35 characters and at least 70 characters). Oral component (up to 15 minutes, 40 points): spoken interaction and production, held on separate dates. Items are written in Mandarin Chinese, with instructions in Portuguese.
  • Time limit: 105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance (written) and up to 15 minutes (oral)
  • Exam / certification fees: €0 for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases; €25 + €3 per exam if registering late Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Mandarim (Prova 848): Suggested Study Strategy

1Master the third-tone sandhi and the tone change rules for 不 (bù) and 一 (yī), as these are common phonetic testing points.
2Memorize the stroke order rules (horizontal before vertical, top before bottom, outside before inside before closing) and common semantic radicals (like 氵 water, 讠 speech, 亻 person, and 饣 food).
3Pay strict attention to Chinese word order: time words and location phrases must precede the verb, following the general Subject + Time + Location + Verb + Object structure.
4Distinguish carefully between the structural particles 的 (de - nominal modifier), 得 (de - descriptive/degree complement), and 地 (de - adverbial modifier).
5Practice using nominal measure words accurately with specific nouns, such as 张 for flat objects, 本 for bound books, 条 for long slender items, and 只 for animals.
6Review the cultural origins and customs of the three major traditional festivals: Chunjie (Spring Festival), Duanwujie (Dragon Boat Festival), and Zhongqiujie (Mid-Autumn Festival).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who prepares and grades the exam?

Since the 2025 reorganization (Decreto-Lei n.º 105/2025), exam papers are prepared by EduQA — Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação, I. P., which succeeded IAVE. The exams are run in schools and graded under the Júri Nacional de Exames (JNE).

How is the exam structured?

Two components. Written component (105 minutes + 30 minutes tolerance, 160 points): listening comprehension in the first 20 minutes, use of language, reading, and written interaction/mediation and production (prova 848: reading texts of 300–400 characters; writing tasks of 25–35 characters and at least 70 characters). Oral component (up to 15 minutes, 40 points): spoken interaction and production, held on separate dates. Items are written in Mandarin Chinese, with instructions in Portuguese.

Is there a pass mark?

No single pass mark: the exam is scored 0–200. For internal students it counts for 25% of the final subject grade (CFD = 0.75 × internal grade + 0.25 × exam); for external candidates the exam grade is the subject grade, so at least 95/200 is needed. When used as an admission exam (prova de ingresso), each higher-education institution sets the minimum, never below 95/200.

How much does it cost?

Free for students in compulsory education who register on time and for internal students in the 1st phase; €3 per exam for 2nd-phase grade improvement, for external candidates (autopropostos) outside compulsory education and for external grade improvement; late registration costs €25 plus €3 per exam (JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026).

Which curriculum does the Mandarin exam follow?

Unlike the other foreign languages, the Mandarin exam (848) is based on the Orientações Curriculares for Língua Estrangeira III – Mandarim, initial level; reading texts have 300–400 characters and the writing tasks 25–35 and at least 70 characters.

How does this practice bank relate to the official exam?

This bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation with 100 original practice questions. It is not affiliated with EduQA or the JNE and does not reproduce the official paper or its constructed-response tasks. Use it to review content and concepts alongside official Informação-Prova documents and past papers.