The HSK certificate is used by educational institutions and prospective employers to assess if prospective employees have an appropriate degree of Chinese language skills. HSK could be the only official language certificate accepted in mainland China.

Productive examinees are issued a Chinese Proficiency Certificate for the examination they took. You'll find 3 levels of certificates for beginners' HSK, namely, the levels of C, B plus a.

Six levels of certificates are here for your elementary and intermediate HSK, C, B and a for the elementary HSK and C, B plus A for the intermediate HSK. There are also three levels of certificates for the innovative HSK, namely, the amounts of C, B and A.

During two months of the test, the HSK sponsor will send by mail the Chinese proficiency certificates and score reports to the HSK organizers. These organizers will forward the certificates and score reports to the examinees.

The examinees might also gather their certificates and score reports from the place exactly where they registered.

Source:http://www.hanban.com/introduction/the-chinese-proficiency-test/certificate-hsk.html

The Validity of Chinese Proficiency Certificates

Chinese proficiency certificates are lastingly legitimate. Being a proof of Chinese proficiency for foreign learners applying for enrollment into various types of schools at a variety of ranges in China, HSK scores are valid for two years from the date of examination.