"Do we have an HSK test ready to go?" It was the end of our day here in Beijing. Far beyond the brick walls of our hutong enclave, the sounds and smells of night were descending on the city. If you listened for it you could faintly hear the bustling crowds on Guijie, their conversations and laughter snaking its way through the lantern-lit street.

Echo looked up from her monitor, on which was sprawled yet another Korean soap opera. "There's one in the beginner section," she nodded quietly. "It's actually really tough, and there are some tricky questions on tense there. It will be hard for anyone to get perfect."

So consider yourself warned, and good luck.