HSK Test: The Ultimate Guide For All 6 HSK Levels

In the sections below you can find an FAQ (frequently asked question) section with all the questions that usually come up around HSK in general followed by 6 pages that are targeted at the various HSK levels. If you are thinking about studying for HSK, take a look at our HSK vocabulary books at the bottom of the page.

HSK Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about HSK, its purpose, how to sign up, how to prepare, how to get the results and many more things. This page also gives some insights into how HSK developed over time, who is responsible for the test behind the scenes and what you can and can’t do in terms of jumping levels and whilst taking the test.

HSK 1 Guide

HSK 1 requires a vocabulary of 150 words and is designed for students who just started learning Chinese. It only has listening and reading parts (no writing) and also shows Pinyin along with the characters. This HSK 1 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 1 including all HSK 1 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.

HSK 2 Guide

HSK 2 requires a vocabulary of 300 words and still mainly targets beginners. Like HSK 1, HSK level 2 also only has listening and reading parts (no writing) and shows Pinyin along with the characters. This HSK 2 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 2 including all HSK 2 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.

HSK 3 Guide

HSK 3 consists of 600 vocabularies and introduces a writing component for the first time. For the most part, Pinyin is not provided anymore for this test, so make sure you know your characters. This HSK 3 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 3 including all HSK 3 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.

HSK 4 Guide

With 1200 vocabularies, HSK 4 requires intermediate level Chinese to pass. It again consists of reading, listening and writing parts. This HSK 4 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 4 including all HSK 4 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.

HSK 5 Guide

With 2500 vocabularies, HSK 5 requires a level of Chinese that allows students to read newspapers and watch movies without too much problems. This HSK 5 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 5 including all HSK 5 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.

HSK 6 Guide

For passing the highest HSK level, you have to know all 5000 HSK vocabularies and be able to use Chinese not just in everyday live but also to write articles, handle basic academic work and make sense of some Chinese literature. This HSK 6 guide provides all the information you need to get started preparing for HSK 6 including all HSK 6 vocabularies with Pinyin and English translations.