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听力 第四部分:听对话,回答问题。 (Listening Part 4: Listen to the short dialogue and answer the question.) 录音 (Audio): 女 (Girl): Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? (你好!你叫什么名字?— Hello! What is your name?) 男 (Boy): Wǒ jiào Xiǎolóng. (我叫小龙。— My name is Xiaolong.) 问题 (Question): 男孩叫什么名字?(What is the boy's name?)

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Key Facts: YCT 1 Exam

YCT Level 1 is China's entry-level Youth Chinese Test for young beginners, with 35 questions across Listening (20) and Reading (15); it covers about 80 words, shows all text with pinyin, and 120/200 passes.

Sample YCT 1 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your YCT 1 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1听力 第一部分:看图听词,判断对错。 (Listening Part 1: Look at the picture, listen to the word, and decide if they match.) (Picture: a small cat sitting down.) 录音 (Audio): māo (猫 — cat). 图片和录音一样吗?(Does the picture match the audio?)
A.对 / duì (Correct — they match)
B.错 / cuò (Wrong — they do not match)
C.猫 / māo (cat)
D.狗 / gǒu (dog)
Explanation: The audio word is 猫 (māo), meaning 'cat,' and the picture shows a cat — so they match. In YCT-1 Listening Part 1 you hear one word and judge True (对 duì) or False (错 cuò) against a picture. 猫 (māo) is core YCT-1 animal vocabulary.
2听力 第一部分:看图听词,判断对错。 (Listening Part 1: Look at the picture, listen to the word, decide if they match.) (Picture: a red apple.) 录音 (Audio): shuǐ (水 — water). 图片和录音一样吗?(Does the picture match the audio?)
A.对 / duì (Correct — they match)
B.错 / cuò (Wrong — they do not match)
C.苹果 / píngguǒ (apple)
D.水果 / shuǐguǒ (fruit)
Explanation: The audio word is 水 (shuǐ, water), but the picture shows an apple (苹果 píngguǒ). They do NOT match, so the answer is 错 (cuò, wrong). In Part 1 you must reject the word when it names something different from the picture.
3听力 第一部分:看图听词,判断对错。 (Listening Part 1: Look at the picture, listen, decide if they match.) (Picture: a hand showing three fingers.) 录音 (Audio): sān (三 — three). 图片和录音一样吗?(Does the picture match the audio?)
A.对 / duì (Correct — they match)
B.错 / cuò (Wrong — they do not match)
C.二 / èr (two)
D.五 / wǔ (five)
Explanation: Three fingers are shown and the audio says 三 (sān, three), so they match — the answer is 对 (duì). Numbers 一 (yī) to 十 (shí) are essential YCT-1 vocabulary, and Part 1 often pairs a number word with a counting picture.
4听力 第一部分:看图听词,判断对错。 (Listening Part 1: Look at the picture, listen, decide if they match.) (Picture: a glass of water.) 录音 (Audio): shū (书 — book). 图片和录音一样吗?(Does the picture match the audio?)
A.对 / duì (Correct — they match)
B.错 / cuò (Wrong — they do not match)
C.水 / shuǐ (water)
D.杯子 / bēizi (cup)
Explanation: The audio says 书 (shū, book), but the picture shows a glass of water. They do not match, so the answer is 错 (cuò). 书 (shū) is a school-item word; 水 (shuǐ) would be the correct word for this picture.
5听力 第一部分:看图听词,判断对错。 (Listening Part 1: Look at the picture, listen, decide if they match.) (Picture: a woman who is a mother holding a child.) 录音 (Audio): māma (妈妈 — mom). 图片和录音一样吗?(Does the picture match the audio?)
A.对 / duì (Correct — they match)
B.错 / cuò (Wrong — they do not match)
C.爸爸 / bàba (dad)
D.老师 / lǎoshī (teacher)
Explanation: The audio says 妈妈 (māma, mom) and the picture shows a mother, so they match — answer 对 (duì). Family words such as 妈妈 (māma), 爸爸 (bàba), 哥哥 (gēge) are core YCT-1 vocabulary.
6听力 第二部分:听句子,选择正确的图片。 (Listening Part 2: Listen to the sentence and choose the correct picture — described in words below.) 录音 (Audio): Wǒ xǐhuan chī mǐfàn. (我喜欢吃米饭。— I like to eat rice.) 哪个图片对?(Which picture is correct?)
A.A picture of a bowl of rice (米饭 mǐfàn)
B.A picture of a cup of tea (茶 chá)
C.A picture of a banana (香蕉 xiāngjiāo)
D.A picture of a fish (鱼 yú)
Explanation: The sentence 我喜欢吃米饭 (Wǒ xǐhuan chī mǐfàn) means 'I like to eat rice,' so the matching picture shows 米饭 (rice). In Part 2 you pick the picture that matches the key food/object word in the sentence.
7听力 第二部分:听句子,选择正确的图片。 (Listening Part 2: Listen and choose the correct picture.) 录音 (Audio): Zhè shì yì zhī gǒu. (这是一只狗。— This is a dog.) 哪个图片对?(Which picture is correct?)
A.A picture of a cat (猫 māo)
B.A picture of a dog (狗 gǒu)
C.A picture of a bird (鸟 niǎo)
D.A picture of a horse (马 mǎ)
Explanation: 这是一只狗 (Zhè shì yì zhī gǒu) means 'This is a dog,' so the dog picture is correct. 只 (zhī) is the measure word commonly used with small animals like 狗 (gǒu) and 猫 (māo).
8听力 第二部分:听句子,选择正确的图片。 (Listening Part 2: Listen and choose the correct picture.) 录音 (Audio): Tā zài kàn shū. (他在看书。— He is reading a book.) 哪个图片对?(Which picture is correct?)
A.A boy sleeping (睡觉 shuìjiào)
B.A boy eating (吃饭 chīfàn)
C.A boy reading a book (看书 kàn shū)
D.A boy running (跑步 pǎobù)
Explanation: 他在看书 (Tā zài kàn shū) means 'He is reading a book.' The structure 在 + verb shows an action happening now, so the correct picture is the boy reading. 看书 (kàn shū) is a common YCT-1 action phrase.
9听力 第二部分:听句子,选择正确的图片。 (Listening Part 2: Listen and choose the correct picture.) 录音 (Audio): Wǒ yǒu sān běn shū. (我有三本书。— I have three books.) 哪个图片对?(Which picture is correct?)
A.A picture showing one book (一本书)
B.A picture showing two books (两本书)
C.A picture showing three books (三本书)
D.A picture showing five books (五本书)
Explanation: 我有三本书 (Wǒ yǒu sān běn shū) means 'I have three books,' so the picture with three books is correct. 本 (běn) is the measure word for books, and 三 (sān) is the number three. Listen carefully to both the number and the noun.
10听力 第二部分:听句子,选择正确的图片。 (Listening Part 2: Listen and choose the correct picture.) 录音 (Audio): Māma hē chá. (妈妈喝茶。— Mom drinks tea.) 哪个图片对?(Which picture is correct?)
A.A woman drinking tea (喝茶 hē chá)
B.A woman drinking water (喝水 hē shuǐ)
C.A woman eating rice (吃米饭 chī mǐfàn)
D.A woman sleeping (睡觉 shuìjiào)
Explanation: 妈妈喝茶 (Māma hē chá) means 'Mom drinks tea.' The verb 喝 (hē) means 'to drink' and the object is 茶 (chá, tea), so the correct picture shows a woman drinking tea.

About the YCT 1 Exam

YCT Level 1 (Youth Chinese Test, 中小学生汉语考试 一级) is the first level of China's official standardized Chinese test for young foreign learners, administered by Chinese Testing International (CTI) under the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, formerly Hanban). It is designed for primary-school-age children just beginning Chinese — typically beginners around ages 4–7 — and sits below HSK Level 1 in difficulty. The exam has 35 questions split into two sections: Listening (20 questions in 4 parts) and Reading (15 questions in 3 parts), completed in about 35 minutes including time to fill in personal information. Content is heavily image-based and child-friendly, covering greetings, numbers 1–10, family members, animals, colors, school items, food, and simple actions, and every Chinese word is shown with pinyin in simplified characters. Test takers are expected to know roughly 80 core vocabulary words. The maximum score is 200 points, and 120 or higher is a pass, with Listening and Reading scored separately. YCT Level 1 confirms that a young learner can understand and use the most common Chinese words and short sentences and is ready to continue studying Chinese.

Questions

35 scored questions

Time Limit

Approximately 35 minutes total: Listening ~10 minutes, Reading ~15 minutes, plus about 5 minutes for personal information.

Passing Score

120 out of 200 (60%); maximum score is 200 with separate Listening and Reading scores shown on the report.

Exam Fee

Roughly USD 15–25 (about €10–20) at international centers; YCT Level 1 is the lowest and cheapest YCT level. Fees vary by country — verify current fees at ChineseTest.cn or your local test center. (Chinese Testing International (CTI), Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education, China)

YCT 1 Exam Content Outline

57%

Listening Comprehension

20 questions across 4 parts of 5: picture–word True/False, picture selection by sentence, picture–sentence True/False, and short-dialogue comprehension. Recordings play twice and pair with pictures.

43%

Reading Comprehension

15 questions across 3 parts of 5: judge whether a picture and word match (对/错), match a sentence to a picture, and fill in the blank with the correct word. All text appears with pinyin.

How to Pass the YCT 1 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 120 out of 200 (60%); maximum score is 200 with separate Listening and Reading scores shown on the report.
  • Exam length: 35 questions
  • Time limit: Approximately 35 minutes total: Listening ~10 minutes, Reading ~15 minutes, plus about 5 minutes for personal information.
  • Exam fee: Roughly USD 15–25 (about €10–20) at international centers; YCT Level 1 is the lowest and cheapest YCT level. Fees vary by country — verify current fees at ChineseTest.cn or your local test center.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

YCT 1 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the roughly 80 core YCT 1 words by topic group — greetings (你好, 谢谢, 再见), numbers 一 to 十, family (爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 妹妹), animals (猫, 狗, 鸟, 鱼), colors, school items (书, 笔, 学校), and food (米饭, 水, 苹果).
2Always learn each word together with its pinyin and a picture — YCT 1 is image-based, so connecting the sound, the character, and a picture is exactly how the test presents items.
3Practice the True/False (对/错) format: listen to or read a word, look at the picture, and decide quickly whether they match. This single skill covers Listening Parts 1 and 3 and Reading Part 1.
4Drill numbers 一 to 十 and the difference between 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng) before a measure word (两个, 两只), since counting pictures appears often.
5Learn the common question words 什么 (what), 几 (how many / how old), and 哪儿 (where), plus simple replies, to handle the Part 4 short dialogues and the fill-in-the-blank reading items.
6Use official YCT Level 1 sample tests and audio from ChineseTest.cn to get used to hearing each recording played twice and to practise pacing the ~10-minute listening and ~15-minute reading sections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the YCT Level 1 exam and who is it for?

YCT Level 1 (Youth Chinese Test, 中小学生汉语考试 一级) is the entry level of China's official standardized Chinese test for young foreign learners. It is designed for primary-school-age children who are absolute beginners — typically around ages 4–7 — and sits below HSK Level 1. It confirms a child can understand and use the most common Chinese words and short sentences.

How is the YCT Level 1 exam structured?

YCT Level 1 has 35 questions across two sections: Listening (20 questions in 4 parts of 5) and Reading (15 questions in 3 parts of 5). The total time is about 35 minutes, including roughly 5 minutes to fill in personal information. The test is heavily image-based, and all Chinese text is shown with pinyin in simplified characters.

What score do I need to pass YCT Level 1?

The maximum score is 200 points, and 120 or higher (60%) is a pass. The score report shows separate scores for Listening and Reading along with the total. YCT is administered by Chinese Testing International (CTI) under the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC).

How many words do I need to know for YCT Level 1?

YCT Level 1 is built around approximately 80 core vocabulary words and phrases. These cover everyday beginner topics such as greetings, numbers 1–10, family members, animals, colors, school items, food, and simple actions.

What kinds of questions appear on the YCT Level 1 test?

Because YCT Level 1 is for young children, most items are picture-based. Listening includes picture–word True/False (对/错), picture selection, picture–sentence True/False, and short-dialogue questions. Reading includes judging whether a picture and word match, matching sentences to pictures, and choosing the right word for a blank.

Is YCT Level 1 easier than HSK 1?

Yes. YCT Level 1 is the easiest standardized Chinese test in this family and sits below HSK Level 1. It uses about 80 words, shows all text with pinyin, relies heavily on pictures, and tests very simple, child-friendly language rather than the wider vocabulary and grammar of HSK 1.