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Stepped progression illustration in teal tones representing the six HSK proficiency levels.
HSK

HSK 3.0: Levels, Word Lists, Test Format & Free Listening Audio

HSK (汉语水平考试) is China's official Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers. New HSK 3.0 papers for levels 1 to 6 start on 13 December 2026.

By Haoshan HongNative Mandarin speakerUpdated September 2026

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What is the HSK?

In HSK 3.0, most learners sit one of six papers, from HSK 1 (300 words) to HSK 6 (about 5,400). A separate advanced paper, HSK 7–9, sits above them.

Writing appears from HSK 2 onward. Speaking is tested in a separate paper, not in these levels.

HSK word count by level

Each level has a published word list, and each list includes the levels below it. So you can see exactly which words a level expects.

HSK proficiency ladderHSK 3.0 levels 1 to 6 with cumulative vocabulary requirements: HSK 1 requires 300 words, HSK 2 requires 500, HSK 3 requires 1,000, HSK 4 requires 2,000, HSK 5 about 3,600, and HSK 6 about 5,400 words. Word counts follow the official HSK 3.0 exam syllabus.HSK levels by cumulative vocabularyHSK 1beginner300 wordsHSK 2elementary500 wordsHSK 3pre-intermediate1,000 wordsHSK 4intermediate2,000 wordsHSK 5upper-intermediate~3,600 wordsHSK 6advanced~5,400 wordsSource: HSK 3.0 exam syllabus, chinesetest.cn
Words needed at each level, counting the levels below it.

How do the six HSK levels compare?

A1HSK 1

Greetings, numbers, dates, family, simple food orders — at very slow speed.

  • • 300 words
  • • 40 questions · 20 listening + 20 reading
  • • 1.5–4 months from zero (rough estimate)
A2HSK 2

Short everyday exchanges — shopping, directions, weather, simple plans.

  • • 500 words
  • • 60 questions · 25 listening + 25 reading + 10 writing
  • • 4–8 months from zero (rough estimate)
B1HSK 3

Most daily-life topics. Travel in China without falling back on English.

  • • 1,000 words
  • • 70 questions · 30 listening + 30 reading + 10 writing
  • • 9–18 months from zero (rough estimate)
B2HSK 4

Broad conversation, slower news, longer exchanges with some fluency.

  • • 2,000 words
  • • 70 questions · 32 listening + 32 reading + 6 writing
  • • 1.5–2.5 years from zero (rough estimate)
C1*HSK 5

Newspapers, film and TV, a reasonably full speech.

  • • ~3,600 words
  • • 72 questions · 35 listening + 35 reading + 2 essays
  • • 2.5–4 years from zero (rough estimate)
C2*HSK 6

Written and spoken Chinese with ease; fluent expression in both.

  • • ~5,400 words
  • • 82 questions · 40 listening + 40 reading + 2 essays
  • • 4+ years from zero (rough estimate)

Pass marks for HSK 3.0 are not out yet (September 2026). The time estimates come from learners of the old, smaller HSK 2.0 levels, so expect to need at least this long.

Where is the full word list for each HSK level?

Each list is the official HSK 3.0 syllabus for that level, including the levels below it, with pinyin and an English definition for every word. Free, no signup.

HSK 1 word list

300 words with pinyin

HSK 2 word list

500 words with pinyin

HSK 3 word list

1,000 words with pinyin

HSK 4 word list

2,000 words with pinyin

HSK 5 word list

~3,600 words with pinyin

HSK 6 word list

~5,400 words with pinyin

HSK 2.0 or HSK 3.0 — which version am I taking?

HSK 3.0 is the new version of the exam, not HSK level 3. Everything above describes HSK 3.0.

The new HSK 1–6 papers start on 13 December 2026. Registration closes on 16 November for the paper exam and on 3 December for the computer-based exam.

Sitting the old HSK 2.0 before 13 December?

Check which version your registration says. If it says HSK 2.0, use the HSK 2.0 numbers below.

Cumulative words, L1–L6
HSK 3.0: 300 / 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 / ~3,600 / ~5,400
HSK 2.0: 150 / 300 / 600 / 1,200 / 2,500 / 5,000
Questions, L1–L6
HSK 3.0: 40 / 60 / 70 / 70 / 72 / 82
HSK 2.0: 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 100 / 101
Writing starts at
HSK 3.0: HSK 2
HSK 2.0: HSK 3
Pass mark
HSK 3.0: Not announced yet (September 2026)
HSK 2.0: 120 / 200 at HSK 1–2, 180 / 300 at HSK 3–6

Source: Chinese Testing International: the HSK 3.0 exam structure (December 2025), the exam syllabus, and the launch announcement of 8 September 2026.

How much of the HSK is listening?

Listening is 42–50% of the questions at every level. It has as many questions as reading, and far more than writing. It is also the one section you cannot slow down: in the official HSK 4 sample, each recording plays once.

HSK question counts by sectionIn HSK 3.0, listening and reading have the same number of questions at every level. HSK 1 has 20 listening and 20 reading questions. HSK 2 has 25 listening, 25 reading and 10 writing. HSK 3 has 30 listening, 30 reading and 10 writing. HSK 4 has 32 listening, 32 reading and 6 writing. HSK 5 has 35 listening, 35 reading and 2 writing. HSK 6 has 40 listening, 40 reading and 2 writing. Listening is 42 to 50 percent of the questions at every level.Listening is close to half of every HSK paperlisteningreadingwritingHSK 120 + 20 · 50% listeningHSK 225 + 25 + 10 · 42% listeningHSK 330 + 30 + 10 · 43% listeningHSK 432 + 32 + 6 · 46% listeningHSK 535 + 35 + 2 · 49% listeningHSK 640 + 40 + 2 · 49% listeningHSK 3.0 · Chinese Testing International · speaking is a separate paper
Bar length shows the number of questions in each section.

Reading gives you time to decode a character you half-remember. Listening gives you the length of one sentence. That gap is why most candidates who prepare only with word lists and mock papers arrive able to read a word they cannot hear.

Which HSK level should I take?

Take the level whose vocabulary you already mostly know — not the one you are studying towards. Sitting a level you are still learning is the most common reason people fail.

1

Open the level below your target

Play one episode at that level and listen once, without the transcript.

2

Check yourself at roughly 70%

If you followed about 70% on that first listen, you are ready to sit the level.

3

Below 50%? Drop one level

Spend four to six weeks of daily listening there first. It is faster than grinding the harder level.

4

Choosing a study goal instead?

Aim at HSK 4. That is where Chinese becomes genuinely usable, and what most Chinese universities ask for.

The method in practice

Free HSK-calibrated listening audio at every level

Fluentide generates daily Mandarin episodes calibrated to each HSK level, so speed, vocabulary, and grammar land at your i+1. Every episode ships with the full Chinese transcript, syllable-by-syllable pinyin, line-by-line English translation, and tap-to-define vocabulary.

  • Four HSK-graded audio tiers, new episodes daily
  • Full transcript, pinyin toggle, and English on every line
  • Free to browse — no signup needed to listen

Use one story with mixed HSK levels

The same Fluentide story exists at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3–4, and HSK 5–6. A mixed group can keep one topic and switch the band instead of finding four different texts.

1

Play audio only

Start without the transcript so the room has to listen first.

2

Add Chinese, then pinyin or English

Reveal the script only if someone is stuck. Keep supports optional.

3

Switch the band, keep the story

Move between HSK 1, 2, 3–4, and 5–6 without changing the topic.

4

Assign that story

Pro can assign it to one class of up to 25 students. They join free with a code and only get the stories you assign.

Chinese listening for teachers · Assign a story · See Pro

How long does each HSK level take?

The levels are not evenly spaced. HSK 1 to HSK 3 arrives quickly because the word lists are small and the speech is slow.

Time from zero to each HSK levelTypical time from no Chinese to each HSK level at 30 to 60 minutes of daily study: HSK 1 in 1.5 to 4 months, HSK 2 in 4 to 8 months, HSK 3 in 9 to 18 months, HSK 4 in 1.5 to 2.5 years, HSK 5 in 2.5 to 4 years, HSK 6 in 4 or more years. The gaps widen sharply after HSK 3 because HSK 4 to HSK 5 nearly doubles the vocabulary from 2,000 to about 3,600 words while listening speed moves close to native pace.The HSK ladder is not evenly spacedrough time from zero, at 30–60 min of daily study01 yr2 yr3 yr4 yr5 yrHSK 11.5–4 moHSK 24–8 moHSK 39–18 moHSK 41.5–2.5 yrHSK 52.5–4 yrHSK 64+ yrvocabulary nearly doubles here: 2,000 → ~3,600 wordsRanges, not promises — skipping listening practice reliably stretches them
Rough time to reach each level, starting from zero.

The stall point is HSK 4 to HSK 5: vocabulary nearly doubles from 2,000 to about 3,600 words while listening speed moves close to native pace. Daily listening shortens these times. Studying word lists alone makes them longer.

How does HSK map to CEFR?

HSK 1–6 map roughly onto CEFR A1–C2, and conversational fluency starts somewhere around HSK 4–5.

HSK levels mapped to CEFR and vocabulary sizeHSK 1 to 6 map roughly to CEFR A1 to C2, from 300 to about 5,400 words in HSK 3.0. Conversational fluency begins around HSK 4 to 5. The HSK 5-6 to C1-C2 alignment is disputed.conversational fluency zone →A1HSK 1300 wordsA2HSK 2500 wordsB1HSK 31,000 wordsB2HSK 42,000 wordsC1*HSK 5~3,600 wordsC2*HSK 6~5,400 wordsbeginner → advanced · * HSK 5–6 to C1–C2 is disputed
A rough match, not an official one.

Treat the top of that mapping with care. HSK 6 is well short of what C2 normally means, and HSK 7–9 sits above it.

Where to practise each level

Chinese listening practice

The full leveled episode library, with transcripts, pinyin, and line-by-line English.

The comprehensible input method

Why i+1 listening builds the processing speed that timed HSK listening demands.

How long does Chinese take?

Realistic timelines by study intensity, and what actually moves them.

What HSK level is fluent?

Where the fluency line really sits, and why HSK 6 is not C2.

Chinese learning resources

Find courses and tools for every skill.

Jump straight to a level: HSK 1 · HSK 2 · HSK 3 · HSK 4 · HSK 5 · HSK 6