What HSK 1 through HSK 6 certify, how many words each adds, how the test is scored, and what HSK 3.0 changes, with a free word list and practice test for each level.
The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi is the standard test of Chinese proficiency for non-native speakers, run by China's Center for Language Education and Cooperation (formerly Hanban). It has six levels, HSK 1 to HSK 6, and each is a separate exam you book directly; nothing requires you to pass the lower ones first. The six levels are defined by vocabulary: HSK 1 rests on 150 words, and each level roughly doubles the total, up to 5,000 at HSK 6. That is what makes the HSK unusually easy to prepare for, and why the word list is the study plan.
| Level | What it certifies | Words you need | Free on this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | You understand and use very simple words and phrases, enough to meet concrete needs and to start learning Chinese in earnest. | 150 words | HSK 1 list, 150 wordsHSK 1 practice test |
| HSK 2 | You can hold simple, direct exchanges on routine everyday matters. | 300 words | HSK 2 list, 147 wordsHSK 2 practice test |
| HSK 3 | You can communicate at a basic level in daily life, study and work, and manage most situations when travelling in China. | 600 words | HSK 3 list, 298 wordsHSK 3 practice test |
| HSK 4 | You can discuss a fairly wide range of topics and communicate fluently with native speakers. | 1,200 words | HSK 4 list, 598 wordsHSK 4 practice test |
| HSK 5 | You can read Chinese newspapers and magazines, follow films and television, and give a full speech. | 2,500 words | HSK 5 list, 1,298 wordsHSK 5 practice test |
| HSK 6 | You take in written and spoken information with ease and express yourself fluently in speech and writing. | 5,000 words | HSK 6 list, 2,500 wordsHSK 6 practice test |
Sections. HSK 1 and HSK 2 have two parts, listening and reading, with pinyin printed above the characters. HSK 3 to HSK 6 have three: listening, reading and writing (character-level tasks at HSK 3, sentence building and a short passage at the higher levels). The test is available on paper and, at most centres, on computer, where you type the writing section in pinyin.
Scoring. HSK 1 and 2 are marked out of 200 and a total of 120 passes. HSK 3 to 6 are marked out of 300, with 100 per section, and a total of 180 is the pass line; there is no minimum per section, so a strong reading score can carry a weak writing one. Certificates show the total and the section scores and are valid indefinitely, though universities usually accept results no older than two years.
Sittings. The HSK runs many times a year, roughly monthly at busy centres and a few times a year at smaller ones, with computer-based sittings added between paper ones. Results are published about a month after the test on the official site, where you also find the dates and fees for your country.
The six-level HSK is defined by its word lists, so the counts are exact: 150 words for HSK 1, 300 for HSK 2, 600 for HSK 3, 1,200 for HSK 4, 2,500 for HSK 5 and 5,000 for HSK 6, cumulative. The Lock&Learn lists hold the words that are new at each level: 150 for HSK 1, 147 for HSK 2, 298 for HSK 3, 598 for HSK 4, 1,298 for HSK 5, 2,500 for HSK 6.
HSK 3.0. In 2021 China published a new proficiency standard with nine bands and about 11,000 words, and in 2022 a single HSK 7-9 exam was added above HSK 6. The HSK 1 to 6 exams themselves are still administered on the six-level lists this site follows; the new bands change what is coming, not what you sit today. If you see "HSK 3.0" word lists, they belong to the new standard, not to the current HSK 1 to 6 papers.
As for time: language schools commonly suggest 40 to 60 hours of study for HSK 1, about 120 for HSK 2, 250 to 300 for HSK 3, 500 to 600 for HSK 4, 1,000 or more for HSK 5 and well over 2,000 for HSK 6, counted from zero and depending heavily on how the characters are learned. Treat them as ranges, not promises.
The one whose word list you mostly know. The free HSK 1 practice test and its siblings for HSK 2 to 6 take two minutes each: fourteen of twenty right means that level's vocabulary is ready. Beginners usually sit HSK 2 or 3 as a first exam, since HSK 1 rarely opens any doors on its own.
Most Chinese-taught bachelor programmes ask for HSK 4 with a total of 180 or more, and many master's and medical programmes ask for HSK 5. English-taught programmes often accept HSK 3 or none. Scholarship schemes set their own bars, so check the programme page rather than relying on a general rule.
HSK 6 certifies 5,000 words and comfortable reading of newspapers and novels, which is a solid advanced level, but its vocabulary is still below an educated native speaker's and the exam has no speaking section. The separate HSKK speaking test exists for that. Under the 2021 standard HSK 6 sits around the middle of the nine bands.
150, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,500 and 5,000 words for HSK 1 to 6, cumulative, defined by the official six-level syllabus. Each Lock&Learn list holds the words new at its level, free to read on this site and free to learn on your Lock Screen with the app.
Not yet. The 2021 standard describes nine bands, and only one exam above the old top, HSK 7-9, has been introduced from it. HSK 1 to 6 are still administered on the six-level word lists. When the lower exams move to the new standard, the official site will say so; until then, study the lists this site publishes.
Yes. The app is free on iOS: HSK 1 is free, every other pack opens with a free preview, and another word unlocks daily. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase.