Advanced
HSK 8 (A2) — Chinese proficiency level 8
HSK 8 sits in the Advanced stage of the HSK 3.0 ladder and is roughly C1+ on the CEFR scale. It assumes 11,092 words and 3,000 characters.
HSK 8 at a glance
11,092Vocabulary
3,000Characters
572Grammar points
C1+CEFR
98Questions
500Points
210 minDuration
2,400Study hours
HSK 8 exam structure
Part by part, with the number of items and the working time for each section. The paper-based exam also grants extra time to transfer answers to the answer sheet.
HSK 7, 8 and 9 are one paper. You do not choose a level: the same 98 questions place you at HSK 7, HSK 8, HSK 9 or below HSK 7. It is also the only paper with a translation section, and the only one where the spoken part sits inside the paper rather than beside it.
| Part | Task | Items | Duration | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 40 | 30 min | 100 | |
| Part 1 | News report true / false | 10 | ||
| Part 2 | Passage plus questions | 9 | ||
| Part 3 | Listen and fill the gap | 3 | ||
| Part 4 | Passage plus questions | 15 | ||
| Part 5 | Listen and fill the gap | 3 | ||
| Reading | 47 | 60 min | 100 | |
| Part 1 | Reading comprehension | 28 | ||
| Part 2 | Choose the word for each gap | 10 | ||
| Part 3 | Long text comprehension | 9 | ||
| Writing | 2 | 55 min | 100 | |
| Part 1 | Write from a chart | 1 | ||
| Part 2 | Write an argument | 1 | ||
| Translation | 4 | 41 min | 100 | |
| Part 1 | Translate into Chinese | 2 | ||
| Part 2 | Interpret into Chinese | 2 | ||
| Speaking | 5 | 24 min | 100 | |
| Part 1 | Read the passage aloud | 1 | ||
| Part 2 | Listen and answer | 3 | ||
| Part 3 | Give your opinion | 1 | ||
HSK 8 vocabulary
HSK 8 assumes 11,092 words in total, of which 5,636 are introduced at this level, written with 3,000 characters across 1,110 syllables. The exam also draws on 572 grammar points.
Under HSK 3.0 the spoken component is compulsory from level 3, so HSK 8 includes speaking. It is recorded, marked by an examiner rather than automatically, and certified separately from the written paper.
How to prepare for HSK 8
- Work from the official vocabulary list for the level and revisit it in short daily sessions.
- Practise one exam part at a time, then sit a full paper against the clock.
- Review every wrong answer against its transcript instead of moving straight on.
- Read and listen to material slightly above your level to build tolerance for unknown words.
- Book the exam once your mock scores sit consistently above the pass mark.
Questions, answered
11,092 in total, of which 5,636 are new at this level. They are written with 3,000 characters, and the exam draws on 572 grammar points.
210 minutes of working time across 98 questions. The paper-based exam also grants extra time to transfer answers to the answer sheet.
— out of 500, which is 60%. Each section is reported out of 100, so a weak section can be carried by a strong one as long as the total clears the bar.
Yes. Under HSK 3.0 the spoken component is compulsory from level 3, so HSK 8 includes speaking. It is recorded, marked by an examiner and certified separately from the written paper.
Roughly C1+. The mapping is approximate — HSK measures Chinese specifically, including character knowledge, which the CEFR scale does not describe.
Yes. Every HSK 8 exam part can be practised on its own with instant marking, and there are full mock tests with audio, transcripts and section scores. It is free.