Chinese Ministry of Education / Chinese Testing International (CTI)
HSK levels explained
Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (Chinese Proficiency Test)
Chinese Ministry of Education / Chinese Testing International (CTI)
Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (Chinese Proficiency Test)
The HSK is China's official standardised Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers, used for university admission, scholarships and employment in China. The six-level exam most learners still sit, HSK 1 to HSK 6, follows the 2010 syllabus known as HSK 2.0, whose official vocabulary lists run from 150 words at HSK 1 to 5,000 at HSK 6. In 2021 a new national standard, GF0025-2021 or HSK 3.0, restructured the framework into three stages and nine bands, raising the requirement to 11,092 words and 3,000 characters and specifying characters, syllables and grammar points for the first time; the combined levels 7-9 exam has launched while levels 1-6 continue through a phased transition, so both sets of figures are given below. Word counts are official; the HSK 2.0 character counts are derived by counting the characters inside the official word lists, because the 2010 syllabus specified words only. No official study hours are published for any HSK level, so those ranges are widely cited estimates.
HSK has 6 levels, running from HSK 1 at the bottom to HSK 6 at the top. It is maintained by Chinese Ministry of Education / Chinese Testing International (CTI).
| Level | Name | Typical vocabulary | Study to reach it |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | Beginner | 150 official words and about 170 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 500 words and 300 characters | 50-150 hours |
| HSK 2 | Elementary | 300 official words and about 350 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 1,272 words and 600 characters | 150-300 hours |
| HSK 3 | Lower Intermediate | 600 official words and about 620 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 2,245 words and 900 characters | 300-600 hours |
| HSK 4 | Intermediate | 1,200 official words and about 1,070 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 3,245 words and 1,200 characters | 600-1,000 hours |
| HSK 5 | Upper Intermediate | 2,500 official words and about 1,700 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 4,316 words and 1,500 characters | 1,000-1,800 hours |
| HSK 6 | Advanced | 5,000 or more official words and about 2,600 characters; HSK 3.0 sets 5,456 words and 1,800 characters, with a further advanced band of 11,092 words and 3,000 characters at levels 7-9 | 2,000-2,600 hours |
Mandarin Chinese only.
If you have never studied the language, start at HSK 1. If you have some background, pick the highest level whose can-do statements you can already manage comfortably, then work from there — starting slightly too low is much less costly than starting too high.
NativePal lets you set your level directly and change it whenever you like, so you can move up as soon as the material stops feeling like a stretch.
Each level page covers what it means, what you can do at it, how long it takes to reach, and how to practise there.
HSK
HSK 1 is the first level of China's official Chinese proficiency test, covering 150 words written in characters with pinyin above them. You can understand and use very simple phrases to meet concrete needs and introduce yourself.
HSK
HSK 2 is the second HSK level, covering 300 words. You can communicate in simple, routine tasks about familiar everyday matters such as shopping, family and daily schedules, using short and direct exchanges of information.
HSK
HSK 3 is the third HSK level, covering 600 words. You can handle most situations encountered while travelling in China, communicate on familiar topics, and manage basic personal and work-related conversations in everyday life.
HSK
HSK 4 is the fourth HSK level, covering 1,200 words. You can discuss a fairly wide range of topics and converse fluently with native speakers, and it is the level most Chinese universities ask of applicants for degree programmes.
HSK
HSK 5 is the fifth HSK level, covering 2,500 words. You can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, follow films and television programmes, and give a full-length prepared speech in Chinese on a familiar topic.
HSK
HSK 6 is the highest level of the current six-level HSK exam, covering 5,000 or more words. You can easily understand written and spoken Chinese and express yourself fluently in speech and writing on almost any topic.
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