Is this HSK 3 or HSK 3.0?
HSK 3 is level 3 of the exam; HSK 3.0 is the name of the new version of the whole exam, levels 1 to 9. The HSK 3.0 exam guide covers that version at every level.
| Feature | HSK 3 in HSK 2.0 | HSK 3 in HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Words in total | 600 | 1,000 |
| Written exam | 80 questions, about 90 minutes | 70 questions, about 83 minutes |
| Speaking | A separate exam (HSKK) | A level 3 speaking test, registered together with the written exam |
| Score and pass mark | 300 points, 180 to pass | Check the current rules for your sitting |
The old exam’s timing and scores come from Chinese Testing International’s HSK 3 page; the 600-word figure comes from the Confucius Institute Barcelona’s comparison. The new exam’s timing comes from CTI’s official sample papers. We have not found a published pass mark for the new HSK 3, so do not assume the old 180 out of 300 carries over.
The Confucius Institute Barcelona, an HSK test center, announced that its October 17 and November 7, 2026 exams still use HSK 2.0 and that HSK 3.0 starts on December 13, 2026. Confirm the version with your own center when you register. HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0 explains what changed between the versions.
What can you do in Chinese at HSK 3?
The official level description says that at HSK 3 you can communicate effectively about daily life, study, and work, one step up from the basic communication of HSK 2. The 2025 syllabus’s task list says that at HSK 3 you should be able to:
- describe someone’s appearance, personality, clothes, and job, and read a short notice looking for a person
- explain a problem and ask for help: a lost item, a day off work, opening a bank card or a phone card
- order in a restaurant or order takeout, and say how the meal or the service was
- talk about travel plans, such as taking the high-speed train or cycling, and tell someone what happened on a trip
- ask a seller about a product, compare two products, and bargain
- describe your symptoms, a visit to the doctor, and your exercise habits
- write one or two sentences about any of these.
In the syllabus’s task list, HSK 2 writing means filling in a form or writing a time or a price; at HSK 3 you write whole sentences. HSK level 2 vs level 3 shows the difference with example sentences from both levels.
What is on the HSK 3 exam?
The HSK 3.0 level-3 written exam tests listening, reading and writing. You also take a level 3 speaking test, which CTI’s registration notice requires you to register for together with the written exam. The section counts and timings below come from CTI’s official HSK 3.0 sample papers.
| Section | Questions | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 | about 23 min | Match dialogues to pictures, then answer multiple-choice questions on short dialogues and talks |
| Reading | 30 | 30 min | Match replies to sentences, fill gaps with the right word, and answer questions on short passages |
| Writing | 10 | 20 min | Write a missing character from its pinyin, then write a sentence with a given word |
| Speaking | 15 | about 15 min, including 6 min to prepare | Repeat 8 sentences, describe 5 pictures, and answer 2 questions for 1.5 minutes each |
Listening is followed by 5 minutes to fill in the answer sheet, and the 83 minutes include 5 minutes for your personal details. The reading texts and answer choices are printed in characters only: pinyin appears only as the hint in the character-writing questions. The HSK 2 sample paper, by contrast, prints pinyin above the Chinese. Source: CTI’s HSK 3.0 sample papers.
The two speaking questions in the sample ask you to introduce a family member and to say what kind of job you would like and why. Source: CTI’s HSK 3.0 sample papers.
CTI’s syllabus page has the sample papers, answer keys, and listening audio as one download, and links to an online HSK 3.0 demo. HSK 3.0 downloads explains what that download contains.
How many words do you need for HSK 3?
HSK 3.0 level 3 requires 1,000 words: the 300 of HSK 1, the 200 new words of HSK 2, and 500 new words at HSK 3. The HSK 3 Vocabulary List shows the 500 new words; the HSK 1 and HSK 2 lists hold the rest. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
The 2025 HSK syllabus also requires learners at HSK 3.0 level 3 to recognize 655 characters and write 250 characters by hand. These are cumulative totals through level 3.
The new words include grammar words that HSK 3 sentences depend on, such as 把 (bǎ, marks the object), 被 (bèi, marks the passive), 如果 (rúguǒ, if), and 只要 (zhǐyào, as long as), and everyday words such as 饱 (bǎo, full after eating), 感冒 (gǎnmào, a cold), and 外卖 (wàimài, takeout). Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
Some lists online give 2,245 words for level 3. That is the count in the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF 0025-2021), a separate document from the exam syllabus. The HSK 3.0 exam follows the 2025 syllabus and its 1,000 words. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
To study offline, HSK 3.0 downloads has the 500 new words or all 1,000 as a spreadsheet, JSON, or Anki import file, and the new words as a printable PDF with English meanings.
How to prepare for HSK 3
If you have finished HSK 2 on the 3.0 lists, work through these steps:
- Check HSK 1 and 2 first. Open those Vocabulary Lists, hide the meanings, and note every word you miss. HSK 3 sentences are built on them, so review them before adding new words.
- Learn the 500 new words at a pace you can keep. At 10 new words a day the list takes 50 days; at 20, 25 days, plus daily reviews. How to learn HSK vocabulary sets out a routine.
- Learn the grammar the syllabus adds. New patterns at HSK 3 include 把 sentences, the passive with 被, 越来越 (more and more), 如果……就 (if … then), and 不但……而且 (not only … but also). HSK level 2 vs level 3 shows several of them next to their HSK 2 equivalents. Source: 2025 HSK exam syllabus.
- Read without pinyin. The HSK 3 reading texts and answer choices have no pinyin, so practice with texts in characters only: graded readers, or your app with pinyin turned off.
- Write by hand. The writing section asks you to produce characters yourself. Write each new word a few times when you learn it, and write short sentences with it.
- Speak in full answers. Practice repeating sentences you hear, and answer questions such as the sample’s “introduce a family member” aloud for 1.5 minutes. Record yourself and listen back.
- Take the official sample paper under time a few weeks before the exam, check it against the answer key, and spend your remaining time on the weakest section.
If you studied with HSK 2.0 materials, many everyday words carry over, but some sit at different levels and the 3.0 lists add many new ones. Go through the HSK 1, 2, and 3 lists with the meanings hidden and mark what you already know; the rest is your study list.
If you are starting from zero, begin with HSK 1. The HSK 3.0 resource hub helps you choose a level.
Can Second Language help with HSK 3?
We make Second Language, a free language game whose beginner Mandarin course covers only part of the HSK vocabulary. It offers listening and reading practice with those words in context, but it is not a complete HSK 3 course or exam-preparation course. In the HSK 3 Vocabulary List, a ★ marks each word the current course teaches; the HSK 1 and 2 lists show their own coverage.