How do HSK 2 and HSK 3 compare?
HSK 3.0 level 3 adds vocabulary, handwriting and speaking requirements beyond level 2. The comparison below uses the 2025 exam syllabus and CTI’s sample papers. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus. Source: CTI’s HSK 3.0 sample papers.
| Feature | HSK 2 | HSK 3 |
|---|---|---|
| New words | 200 | 500 |
| Words in total | 500 | 1,000 |
| Characters to recognize, in total | 371 | 655 |
| Characters to write by hand, in total | 100 | 250 |
| Official description | Basic communication in daily life, study, and work situations | Effective communication in daily life, study, and work situations |
| Written exam | 60 questions, about 60 min | 70 questions, about 83 min |
| Pinyin on the paper | Printed above the Chinese | Only as hints for characters you write |
| Writing in the exam | Single characters | Single characters, then whole sentences |
| Speaking test | None | 15 questions, about 15 min |
Word and character counts are from the 2025 HSK syllabus; official descriptions are from CTI’s HSK 3.0 ability descriptions (HSK3.0考试能力描述); exam figures are from CTI’s official sample papers. These documents are linked from CTI’s syllabus page.
What does HSK 3 grammar let you say?
The 2025 syllabus adds these patterns at HSK 3: 更 and 跟……一样 for comparing, 把, 被, 如果……就 for conditions, verb + 不/得 + complement (放不下) for whether something is possible, and 不但……而且. Each row pairs a sentence built with HSK 2 grammar with one that uses a pattern the syllabus adds at HSK 3. Sentences marked “sample paper” are from CTI’s HSK 3 sample paper; the others are our own examples. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
| Pattern | HSK 2 | HSK 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing | 今天比昨天冷。 Today is colder than yesterday. | 今天比昨天更冷。 Today is even colder than yesterday. 他跟我一样高。 He is as tall as I am. |
| What you did with something (把) | 我忘了我的本子。 I forgot my notebook. | 我把一个本子忘在这儿了。 I left a notebook here. (sample paper) |
| What happened to something (被) | 朋友拿了我的书。 A friend took my book. | 我的书被朋友拿走了。 My book was taken by a friend. |
| Conditions | 因为下雨，所以我们不去了。 Because it is raining, we are not going. | 如果明天下雨，我们就不去了。 If it rains tomorrow, we will not go. |
| Whether you can do something | 我听懂了。 I understood. | 洗手间地方小，放不下那么大的洗衣机。 The bathroom is too small to fit such a big washing machine. (sample paper) |
| Adding a point | 他会说中文，也会写汉字。 He can speak Chinese and can also write characters. | 他不但会说中文，而且会写汉字。 He not only speaks Chinese but also writes characters. |
The HSK 3 sentences also use HSK 3 words such as 更 (gèng, even more), 一样 (yíyàng, the same), 如果 (rúguǒ, if), and 洗衣机 (xǐyījī, washing machine). In CTI’s HSK 3 sample paper, 把 appears in both the listening and the reading sections, so practice hearing these patterns, not only reading them. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
How does the writing section change?
At HSK 2 the exam asks you to write single characters; at HSK 3 it also asks for whole sentences. These examples are all from CTI’s sample papers: Source: CTI’s HSK 3.0 sample papers.
- HSK 2: write the missing character, with pinyin printed over the whole sentence: 你想喝茶还（是）喝咖啡？ (Would you like tea or coffee?)
- HSK 3, part 1: write the missing character, with pinyin given only for the gap: 这里一个鸡蛋只要八（毛）钱。 (An egg here costs only 80 fen.)
- HSK 3, part 2: write a sentence with a given word. For 饱 (bǎo, full after eating), the answer key’s model answer is 我已经饱了，不吃了。 (I am already full, so I will stop eating.)
The HSK 3.0 level-3 sample paper asks for whole sentences in writing part 2. Unlike filling a gap, this task requires you to choose the words, word order and grammar yourself.
What does the HSK 3 speaking test ask?
The HSK 3.0 level-3 speaking sample has three parts. First you repeat 8 sentences you hear, with 10 seconds for each. Then you describe 5 pictures, with 15 seconds for each. Last you answer 2 questions, such as 请介绍一下你的一位家人。 (Please introduce one of your family members.), and for each question you get 3 minutes to prepare and 1.5 minutes to answer. The whole test takes about 15 minutes, including the 6 minutes of preparation. Source: CTI’s HSK 3.0 sample papers.
Are you ready to move from HSK 2 to HSK 3?
You are ready to start on HSK 3 when most of these are true:
- You recognize nearly all 500 HSK 1 and 2 words with the meanings hidden in the HSK 1 and HSK 2 Vocabulary Lists.
- You can read an HSK 2 sentence with the pinyin covered.
- You can use 比, 因为……所以, and 虽然……但是 in sentences of your own.
- You can write the HSK 1 and 2 characters you use most by hand.
- You can talk about your family or your day for a minute, even with mistakes.
To practice HSK 3.0 level-3 speaking, use CTI’s sample question 请介绍一下你的一位家人: prepare for 3 minutes, then answer aloud for 1.5 minutes. The HSK level 3 guide has a full study plan, the HSK level 2 guide covers the level below, and HSK 3.0 downloads has the word lists as files.