HSK 3.0 Exam Guide (2026): Levels, Format, Test Dates

The first regular HSK 3.0 exam has been announced for 13 December 2026. Registration for it closes on 16 November for paper tests and on 3 December for internet-based tests, Beijing time. [1] Sittings before then can still use the old HSK 2.0: the Confucius Institute Barcelona, for example, says its 17 October and 7 November 2026 exams are HSK 2.0. [2] Which version you take depends on your test date and test center, so confirm it when you register.

HSK 3.0 is the new version of the HSK, China's official exam of Mandarin Chinese for non-native speakers. It has nine levels tested in seven exams, a speaking test that you register for together with HSK 3 to 6, and word lists that grow to 11,000 words. If you are coming from HSK 2.0, HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0 explains what changed. [6] [9]

Start with the HSK 3.0 resource hub for the transition and study materials, or go straight to HSK 3.0 downloads for vocabulary covering all nine levels. HSK 3.0 means the version of the whole system; HSK level 3 is one level within it.

What is the HSK?

The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, 汉语水平考试) is China's national standardized test of Mandarin Chinese for non-native speakers. It belongs to the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), under China's Ministry of Education, and is run on its behalf by Chinese Testing International (CTI). [9]

CTI lists study, scholarship, and work applications among the uses of HSK results. [9] A January 2026 report in People’s Daily Overseas Edition describes HSK 4 as a basic language requirement for study in China; check the exact requirement with your program. [3] China’s points system for foreigners’ work permits also awards points for HSK results. [4]

HSK 3.0 replaces the six-level HSK 2.0. It is built on China’s 2021 national standard for Chinese proficiency, which sorts learners into three stages and nine levels. [5]

HSK 3.0 levels at a glance

The 2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus assigns 300 cumulative vocabulary entries to level 1 and 11,000 to the combined level 7–9 band. The table pairs its vocabulary and character counts with CTI’s official ability descriptions. [5] [6] [11]

HSK 7, 8, and 9 are tested in a single exam, and your score in it decides which of the three levels you reach. [10] For what each level means in practice, and how the levels compare with the European CEFR scale, see HSK levels explained.

Counting the 11,000 entries in our 2025-syllabus vocabulary list, we found 10,896 different written forms. 99 forms appear more than once, almost always with a different reading or meaning. 会 is huì, “can”, at HSK 1 and huì, “meeting”, at HSK 3; 得 is de at HSK 2, then dé (“to get”) and děi (“must”) at HSK 3. Our list keeps every entry, so check the pinyin and meaning, not just the characters, when you mark a word as known. [6]

When HSK 3.0 starts

• March 2021: the national standard behind HSK 3.0 (GF 0025—2021) is published; it takes effect in July 2021. [5]
• November 2022: the first HSK 7–9 exam, the new advanced level, is held; CLEC announced it for 26 November. [12]
• November 2025: the HSK 3.0 syllabus for every level is published. [6] [7]
• 31 January 2026: the announced date of the first pilot exams in the new format. [3]
• 20 September 2026: a second round of pilot exams worldwide. [9]
• 17 October and 7 November 2026: HSK 1–6 sittings that still use the HSK 2.0 format, as listed by test centers such as the Confucius Institute Barcelona. [2]
• 13 December 2026: announced as the first regular HSK 3.0 exam, held worldwide, with registration deadlines of 16 November (paper) and 3 December (internet-based). [1]

Test dates, registration deadlines, and the version used at each sitting can vary by country and test center, so always check the official site, chinesetest.cn, and your test center for sessions near you. If you are booked on an HSK 2.0 sitting, prepare with HSK 2.0 materials.

Exam format by level

The HSK 3.0 sample exams run from about 40 minutes at level 1 to 210 minutes for the combined advanced exam. Levels 3–6 also have speaking tests; the advanced exam includes speaking and translation. [8] [10]

Writing now starts at HSK 2, where HSK 2.0 tested only listening and reading. Speaking is part of HSK 3 to 6: you register for the matching speaking test together with the written exam, where HSK 2.0 had a separate speaking exam, the HSKK. HSK 7–9 also adds translation into Chinese. [9]

The December announcement lists paper and internet-based tests. Confirm the format and venue with your test center when registering; not every format is available for every level or location. HSK 7–9 is internet-based only. [1] [10]

Registration and fees

Register through chinesetest.cn: choose your level, format, and test center, then pay the fee set by that center. For the September 2026 HSK 3.0 pilot, CTI paired HSK 3 to 6 with the matching speaking test and charged the old written-exam fee plus the speaking-test fee. HSK 1 and 2 fees were unchanged. [9] Confirm the fee and speaking-test booking for your own sitting.

Scoring and results

For HSK 2.0, CTI’s HSK 1 page gives a maximum of 200 points and a pass mark of 120; its HSK 3 page gives 300 and 180 respectively. [13] [14] We have not found a published score scale or pass marks for the new HSK 1–6 exams as of October 2026, so do not assume the old thresholds apply. HSK 7–9 gives a score from 0 to 100 for each skill and an overall result of level 7, 8, or 9 (or below level 7). [10]

For the September 2026 pilot, CTI specified results after 15 days for internet-based tests and 30 days for paper tests, with a one-week delay if publication falls on a public holiday. [9] Check the results schedule for your sitting. The published rules give HSK results a two-year validity period from the exam date, including existing HSK 2.0 results. [2] [9] Check the certificate requirements with the institution receiving your result.

What changed from HSK 2.0

HSK 3.0 has more levels (nine instead of six) and more words at every level (11,000 at the top instead of 5,000). It adds separate lists of characters to recognize and to write by hand (1,200 handwriting characters in all, from HSK 1), grammar and topic requirements for every level, and the speaking and translation requirements. [6] [9] [10] HSK 2.0 was officially matched to the CEFR scale (HSK 6 = C2), a claim the German association of Chinese teachers, Fachverband Chinesisch, disputed in 2010. [15] We have not found an official CEFR mapping for HSK 3.0.

HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0 compares the two level by level, including what the change means for the words you have already learned.

How to prepare for each HSK level

The official sample papers, with answers and listening audio, are the best guide to what each exam asks. CTI’s syllabus page links to them and to an online demo of the exam. [8]

Elementary (HSK 1–3)

Handwriting is tested from HSK 2. In the HSK 2 sample paper, the writing section is 10 questions in 10 minutes. At HSK 3 it is 10 questions in 20 minutes: first you write missing characters, with pinyin given only for the gap, then you write a sentence of your own with a given word. [8] Practice writing the common characters by hand from HSK 1, and at HSK 3 practice building short sentences around single words.

HSK 3 is also the first level with a speaking test. In the sample, you repeat 8 sentences you hear, describe 5 pictures, and answer 2 questions, with 3 minutes to prepare and 1.5 minutes to answer each question. [8] Repeating sentences aloud from audio is direct practice for the first part; our YouTube channel has Chinese listening videos at beginner level.

For vocabulary, the free downloads below include an Anki import file for each level, and How spaced repetition works explains why reviewing words at growing intervals helps. The HSK level 2 study guide and the HSK level 3 study guide set out what each of those levels asks for, and HSK level 2 vs level 3 shows the step between them with example sentences.

Intermediate (HSK 4–6)

The exams get longer: the written paper runs from about 85 minutes at HSK 4 to about 125 minutes at HSK 6, and each speaking test has 5 questions in about 20 to 23 minutes. [8] Take the sample papers in one sitting, with the audio and a timer, so the length is not a surprise on the day. Vocabulary grows from 2,000 words at HSK 4 to 5,400 at HSK 6, so plan your word study by level. [6]

Advanced (HSK 7–9)

HSK 7–9 is one exam of 98 questions in about 210 minutes, taken on a computer. Its writing section asks you to describe and analyze a chart and to argue for a view on a given topic. Its translation section has you translate explanatory, narrative, and argumentative texts into Chinese, both in writing and aloud. In the speaking section you restate or give your views on texts you are given. [10] Practice those exact tasks, with a timer, alongside wide reading.

For vocabulary at any level, How to learn HSK vocabulary sets out a daily plan, with how long each level’s word list takes at 10 or 20 new words a day.

Free HSK resources

Our HSK 3.0 Vocabulary List has all 11,000 entries of the 2025 syllabus, with pinyin, traditional characters, and meanings. You can search across every level and download each level as a PDF to print, a CSV file for Excel or Google Sheets, an Anki import file, or JSON. HSK 3.0 downloads brings together all nine levels, with per-level files and cumulative CSV, Anki import, and JSON files through each level, including the full 11,000-entry list. Levels 7–9 share one advanced list. PDFs remain separate by level group.

• Start with the HSK 1 Vocabulary List, or jump to HSK 3 or HSK 4
• See HSK levels explained to choose your level
• Compare HSK 2.0 and HSK 3.0 if you studied with older materials
• See CTI’s official sample papers, answers, and listening audio on its syllabus page