Six levels became nine
Three stages of three levels — Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced — so progress is measured in smaller steps.
All nine HSK levels
The 2021 HSK 3.0 standard organises the exam into three stages of three levels. Tap any level — everything on the site follows it.
Débutant · 初等
Band I · HSK 1–3
Intermédiaire · 中等
Band II · HSK 4–6
Avancé · 高等
Band III · HSK 7–9
Débutant · 初等
HSK 3 (B3)
Everyday Chinese. Pinyin disappears at level 3, where speaking also becomes compulsory and the reading passages start to need real character recognition.
2,245
words
900
characters
210
grammar points
A2
CEFR
450
study hours
85 min
exam length
Compare the levels
Counts are cumulative — each level assumes everything below it. Click a row to select that level.
| Niveau | Palier | Vocabulaire | Caractères | Points de grammaire | CECRL | Heures d’étude | Durée |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 B1 | Débutant | 500 | 300 | 48 | A1 | 120 | 35 min · 40 q |
| HSK 2 B2 | Débutant | 1,272 | 600 | 129 | A1+ | 270 | 50 min · 60 q |
| HSK 3 B3 | Débutant | 2,245 | 900 | 210 | A2 | 450 | 85 min · 80 q |
| HSK 4 I1 | Intermédiaire | 3,245 | 1,200 | 286 | B1 | 675 | 100 min · 100 q |
| HSK 5 I2 | Intermédiaire | 4,316 | 1,500 | 357 | B1+ | 940 | 120 min · 100 q |
| HSK 6 I3 | Intermédiaire | 5,456 | 1,800 | 424 | B2 | 1,250 | 135 min · 101 q |
| HSK 7 A1 | Avancé | 11,092 | 3,000 | 572 | C1 | 1,800 | 210 min · 98 q |
| HSK 8 A2 | Avancé | 11,092 | 3,000 | 572 | C1+ | 2,400 | 210 min · 98 q |
| HSK 9 A3 | Avancé | 11,092 | 3,000 | 572 | C2 | 3,000 | 210 min · 98 q |
What changed in HSK 3.0
Mandatory from level 3
A recorded spoken component from level 3 up, marked by an examiner and certified separately from the written paper.
Handwriting starts at level 5
Below level 5 the writing tasks are typed or assembled from words the paper gives you.
Rebalanced word lists
Everyday words moved down, abstract vocabulary moved up — HSK 1 grew from 150 words to 500.
Frequently asked questions
Nine. The 2021 standard organises them into three stages of three levels: Beginner (HSK 1–3), Intermediate (HSK 4–6) and Advanced (HSK 7–9). The three advanced levels are assessed by a single joint paper.
180 out of 300 on the written paper — 60%. There is no minimum for individual sections, so a weak section can be carried by the other two.
From level 3 up, yes. It is marked by an examiner and reported on a separate certificate rather than inside the 300-point written total.
From level 5. Below that the writing tasks are typed or assembled from words the paper gives you.
Only at HSK 1 and 2. From level 3 the paper is characters only, which is the single biggest step up on the ladder.