Loading...
Quick answer
How long each HSK level runs, how many questions, and the exact passing marks — section by section, with a per-level timing table.
Before you register for the HSK, it helps to know exactly what the paper looks like: how many sections, how long, how many questions, and what score clears the bar. Here is the full breakdown.
Every HSK level tests listening and reading. From HSK 3 upward, a writing section is added. HSK 1 and HSK 2 have no writing. Speaking is never part of the HSK — it is a separate exam, the HSKK.
Each section is worth 100 points. HSK 1–2 have two sections (listening + reading) for a total of 200, with a passing score of 120. HSK 3–6 add writing for a total of 300, with a passing score of 180. The pass threshold is 60% at every level, based on the total score only.
Roughly 40 minutes for HSK 1 up to about 135–140 minutes for HSK 6, plus a short period at the start to fill in personal details. Durations vary by a few minutes depending on the test center.
Listening and reading at every level, plus writing from HSK 3 upward. HSK 1–2 have no writing section. Speaking is not part of the HSK — it is tested separately as the HSKK.
| Level | Sections | Questions | Approx. duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | Listening, Reading | 40 | ~40 min |
| HSK 2 | Listening, Reading | 60 | ~55 min |
| HSK 3 | Listening, Reading, Writing | 80 | ~85–90 min |
| HSK 4 | Listening, Reading, Writing | 100 | ~100–105 min |
| HSK 5 | Listening, Reading, Writing | 100 | ~120–125 min |
| HSK 6 | Listening, Reading, Writing | 101 | ~135–140 min |
Durations are approximate and include the short personal-info period at the start. This table reflects the HSK 2.0 format that is still administered in 2026; the incoming HSK 3.0 restructures the exam (see the note below).
This is where many first-timers get the wrong idea, so read carefully:
| Level | Sections | Total points | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1–2 | 2 (no writing) | 200 | 120 |
| HSK 3–6 | 3 | 300 | 180 |
Two things follow from this:
Score reports break your total down by section, which is exactly the diagnostic you want when planning what to study next. HSK certificates have historically been treated as valid for two years for official purposes such as university admission — confirm the current validity window with the institution you are applying to, since policies vary.
A note on HSK 3.0. The figures above are the format most candidates still sit in 2026. HSK 3.0 (nine bands) is rolling out in phases: its advanced bands 7–9 merge into a single longer exam that adds speaking and translation on top of listening, reading and writing. Confirm which format your test center is running before you register.
The fastest way to internalize the format is to sit it under real timing. Take a full-length HSK mock test, then review every miss — the 4-step error review turns each wrong answer into points on exam day.
Compiled by the HSK Ace team, updated July 2026. Figures reference the official HSK standard; exam rules, dates and fees change by testing round — always confirm the current format with chinesetest.cn or your test center before registering.
The Leitner system moves flashcards between five boxes based on whether you got them right. Why it fits Chinese in particular, how it compares with algorithmic spaced repetition, and the five habits that decide whether it works.
Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone, and pitch is part of the word rather than emotion. The five tones in one table, where the tone mark goes, the tone-change rules nobody writes down, and a practice routine that fixes them.
Putonghua is the official standard spoken language of mainland China — what English calls Mandarin. How it differs from Mandarin, Chinese, Guoyu and Cantonese, where the standard came from, and what makes it distinctive to learn.