HSK Levels Explained
HSK 3.0 has nine levels. HSK 1 to HSK 6 are six separate levels, and levels 7, 8 and 9 form one advanced band. Each level adds words, characters and grammar to the one before, from 300 words at HSK 1 to 11,000 in the HSK 7–9 band.
Choose your HSK level and start learning
Not sure where you are? If Chinese is new to you, start with HSK 1. If you can already read short everyday sentences, open the next level and try its practice questions.
Never studied Chinese at all? Start with Chinese Foundations: pinyin, tones, characters and your first sentences, before HSK 1.
- HSK 1Elementary stage (levels 1–3)300 words · 246 characters to read · 70 grammar pointsIn this HSK 1-aligned track you learn to introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions about people, numbers, days and places, and read short sentences made of very common words.
- HSK 2Elementary stage (levels 1–3)500 words · 371 characters to read · 148 grammar pointsIn this HSK 2-aligned track you practise talking about your day in the past and present, comparing two things, suggesting plans and writing common characters from memory.
- HSK 3Elementary stage (levels 1–3)1,000 words · 655 characters to read · 244 grammar pointsIn this HSK 3-aligned track you practise telling a short story in order, giving reasons, describing results and changes, and following everyday conversations.
- HSK 4Intermediate stage (levels 4–6)2,000 words · 1,096 characters to read · 339 grammar pointsIn this HSK 4-aligned track you practise discussing familiar topics in some detail, giving opinions with reasons, reading short articles and building a connected paragraph.
- HSK 5Intermediate stage (levels 4–6)3,600 words · 1,527 characters to read · 409 grammar pointsIn this HSK 5-aligned track you practise following longer texts and discussions, arguing a point with conditions and contrasts, and recognising when Chinese switches to a more formal register.
- HSK 6Intermediate stage (levels 4–6)5,400 words · 1,940 characters to read · 459 grammar pointsBy the end of this Mythic Mandarin HSK 6-aligned track you will have practised reading and discussing general-interest texts, arguing with nuance through rhetorical questions and contrasts, and planning a structured speech or short essay.
- HSK 7–9Advanced stage (levels 7–9, one band)11,000 words · 3,088 characters to read · 593 grammar pointsIn the advanced band you work towards reading complex texts on specialist and cultural topics, recognising classical structures in modern writing, and writing well-organised formal Chinese.One official band; our Level 7, 8 and 9 tracks are learning steps.
Counts are cumulative, from the official HSK 3.0 syllabus. Stages and goals describe the Mythic Mandarin learning path.
How many HSK levels are there?
There are nine HSK levels in HSK 3.0, grouped into three stages by the 2021 standard the new exam is built on. HSK 1 to HSK 6 each have their own level; levels 7, 8 and 9 are one advanced band.
The highest level is level 9, at the top of the advanced band. How the HSK 7–9 band works
HSK levels explained: words, characters and grammar
The official syllabus sets how many words, characters and grammar points each level covers. The totals are cumulative: each level includes everything below it.
| Level | New words | Words in total | Characters to read | Grammar points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 300 | 300 | 246 | 70 |
| HSK 2 | 200 | 500 | 371 | 148 |
| HSK 3 | 500 | 1,000 | 655 | 244 |
| HSK 4 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 1,096 | 339 |
| HSK 5 | 1,600 | 3,600 | 1,527 | 409 |
| HSK 6 | 1,800 | 5,400 | 1,940 | 459 |
| HSK 7–9 | 5,600 | 11,000 | 3,088 | 593 |
What HSK level is fluent?
The HSK does not define a "fluent" level, and there is no official mapping from HSK 3.0 levels to other language scales. What the syllabus does define is how much each level covers.
HSK 6 covers 5,400 words and the advanced HSK 7–9 band 11,000.
Why there are nine levels now
The nine levels come from HSK 3.0, the new version of the exam. What changed in HSK 3.0
Taking the HSK test
Once you know your level, the exam itself has its own dates, registration deadlines and test centres. How the HSK test works