Dear all,

I have never attempted a HSK test. Nonetheless I have studied Chinese for roughly a year and a half (of which one year was in China).

Now I want to have a goal to study for which is the HSK. But which level should I aim for?

Thanks,
John

Aim for the highest you can. I suggest just going through the HSK lists, from 1 to however high you feel comfortable, and when you feel it's right to stop and test, then that level is right.

How much study did you do during the 1.5 years (avg hours per day), and what did you do for the one year in china?

I think the best thing is to download the sample tests from here:

http://www.chinesetest.cn/godownload.do

Have a look at them and see which level you think suits you best.

I agree that you should try some mock tests. I did that about a year ago after having studied Chinese on and off for years. I was debating between taking the HSK 4 or 5. I decided to take the 4 this past February. I am glad I did. It was pretty easy and helped me build my confidence. It also helped me realize my strengths and weaknesses. I just took the 5 this past weekend and I think I passed. I think if you are at a lower level it might be better to aim high, but at an intermediate level make sure you have enough time and are well prepared, especially considering the price of the test and travel time to get to the test center (for me it's a few hours and requires an over night trip) because it'd be a shame to not pass.

The easiest summary of HSK Chinese levels I use is http://www.livethelanguage.cn/levels
Have a look on there, see which mandarin level you currently are and then go for the level above you, we all need a challenge, right ;)