HSK Levels Explained: What Each Level Means, Words and CEFR

The HSK levels measure your Chinese from complete beginner to advanced: the current HSK 2.0 exam has six levels, and the new HSK 3.0 standard has nine levels in three bands. In the HSK 3.0 word lists, Level 1 asks for 500 words and Level 6 for 5,456 in total, and HSK 4 or 5 is a common target for anyone who wants to study or work in Chinese. Below you will find what you can actually do at each level, how the levels compare with the CEFR, and how to work out where you stand today.

HSK stands for 汉语水平考试 (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì), the Chinese proficiency test. The test organizer has announced that the new HSK 3.0 exam opens worldwide on 13 December 2026. Until then, the six-level HSK 2.0 papers are still the regular exam, so check the official site, chinesetest.cn, for the version you will sit.

HSK Levels Explained at a Glance: HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0

Here are the six HSK 2.0 levels and the nine HSK 3.0 levels side by side. Word counts are totals from Level 1 up to that level, except the "new words" column, which shows what each HSK 3.0 level adds.

Level	HSK 2.0 total words	HSK 3.0 band	HSK 3.0 new words	HSK 3.0 total words
HSK 1	150	Elementary	500	500
HSK 2	300	Elementary	772	1,272
HSK 3	600	Elementary	973	2,245
HSK 4	1,200	Intermediate	1,000	3,245
HSK 5	2,500	Intermediate	1,071	4,316
HSK 6	5,000	Intermediate	1,140	5,456
HSK 7-9	no level	Advanced	5,636	11,092

Three things to take from this table:

The same number does not mean the same level. A new HSK 3 asks for almost four times as many words as an old HSK 3.
HSK 3.0 grows steadily. Each level from 2 to 6 adds roughly 800 to 1,100 words, so no single step is a cliff.
Levels 7, 8 and 9 share one exam. Your score on that combined exam places you at 7, 8 or 9.

In Chinese, the new structure is called 三等九级 (sān děng jiǔ jí), "three bands, nine levels". The bands are 初等 (chūděng, elementary), 中等 (zhōngděng, intermediate) and 高等 (gāoděng, advanced). For the full story of what changed in the exam papers, the character and grammar lists, and the switch-over dates, read our guide to HSK 3.0 vs HSK 2.0.

The pass mark depends on the level: 120 out of 200 for HSK 1 and 2, and 180 out of 300 for HSK 3 and 4, with 180 also used as the usual benchmark at HSK 5 and 6. Our guide to the HSK exam format and scoring has the sections and timing for every level.

What You Can Do at Each HSK Level

Level descriptions on paper can feel abstract, so here is what each HSK 3.0 level looks like in everyday life. These are our own examples of typical tasks, not official descriptors. If you passed an HSK 2.0 level, you may be one or two levels lower on this scale, because the old word lists are smaller.

HSK 1: Survival phrases (500 words)

You can greet people, count, give your phone number, say the time and date, and handle the simplest shopping and ordering.

Ask the price at a market stall: 多少钱？ (Duōshao qián?) How much is it?
Order a drink: 我想喝茶。 (Wǒ xiǎng hē chá.) I'd like some tea.
Say where you are from, what you do and what you like.

HSK 2: Simple everyday conversations (1,272 words)

You can talk about your day, your family and your plans, ask for directions, and take the metro or a taxi without help.

Make weekend plans: 周末我们一起去看电影吧。 (Zhōumò wǒmen yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ba.) Let's go and see a film together this weekend.
Read a menu with familiar dishes and ask simple questions about it.
Describe the weather, what you did yesterday and what you will do tomorrow.

HSK 3: Daily life on your own (2,245 words)

You can handle most routine situations in a Chinese-speaking city: seeing a doctor, renting a room, changing a booking, or telling a short story about something that happened.

Call in sick: 我感冒了，想请一天假。 (Wǒ gǎnmào le, xiǎng qǐng yì tiān jià.) I've caught a cold and would like to take a day off.
Read short notices, messages and emails, with some help from a dictionary.
Explain a simple problem, for example that your room is too noisy.

HSK 4: Real conversations on familiar topics (3,245 words)

You can explain reasons, compare options and keep a conversation going with a native speaker at normal speed, as long as the topic is familiar. Most people stop relying on pinyin around here.

Prepare for an interview: 下周我有一个面试，得先准备简历。 (Xià zhōu wǒ yǒu yí ge miànshì, děi xiān zhǔnbèi jiǎnlì.) I have a job interview next week, so I need to get my CV ready first.
Read short articles and follow everyday conversations about work, health, travel and money.
Write a connected paragraph with linking words like "although" and "no matter".

Our HSK 4 study guide shows the grammar that makes this possible.

HSK 5: Work and study in Chinese (4,316 words)

You can follow the news on familiar subjects, take part in a meeting, write a work email, and read longer texts with a clear structure.

Talk business: 客户想在月底前签订合同。 (Kèhù xiǎng zài yuèdǐ qián qiāndìng hétong.) The client wants to sign the contract before the end of the month.
Watch a documentary or a TV series with Chinese subtitles and follow the main story.
Give a short prepared talk and answer simple questions about it.

See the HSK 5 study guide for how to make the jump to more formal Chinese.

HSK 6: Comfortable on most topics (5,456 words)

You can read newspapers and opinion pieces, follow lectures in your field, and discuss abstract topics such as the economy, society or the environment.

Discuss the news: 这项政策对经济的影响还很难判断。 (Zhè xiàng zhèngcè duì jīngjì de yǐngxiǎng hái hěn nán pànduàn.) It's still hard to judge how this policy will affect the economy.
Summarize a long text in your own words.
Pick up meaning from context when you meet a word you don't know.

The HSK 6 study guide covers the reading speed this level demands.

HSK 7 to 9: Academic and professional Chinese (11,092 words)

This is the advanced band, the level for taking a degree in Chinese, reading specialist texts, writing academic papers or translating in your field. The combined exam adds translation and speaking tasks to listening, reading and writing.

How Many Words per HSK Level?

Words are the easiest way to compare levels, and the numbers above give you a clear target. Under the HSK 3.0 lists, you need 500 words for HSK 1, then roughly another 800 to 1,100 words for each level up to HSK 6.

The HSK 3.0 standard also sets 300 new characters per level up to Level 6, for 1,800 in total, and 3,000 by the top of the advanced band. A word can be one character, like 茶 (chá, tea), or several, like 电影 (diànyǐng, film). That is why the word count grows faster than the character count.

To see every word with pinyin and meanings, use our lists for HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. For how long each list takes at different daily study times, see how long it takes to learn Chinese.

HSK Levels to CEFR: The Official Table and Why Teachers Disagree

The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is the Council of Europe's scale for language ability. It has six levels in three groups: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), and C1 and C2 (proficient user). Its descriptors were written without any one language in mind, which is why people like to use it to compare tests.

What the official table said

When the six-level HSK launched around 2010, the test organizer published a table that matched each HSK level one-to-one with a CEFR level: HSK 1 was A1, HSK 2 was A2, and so on up to HSK 6 as C2. You will still see this table on some test center pages today.

Why European teachers pushed back

In June 2010, an association of Chinese teachers in the German-speaking countries published a statement that firmly rejected this mapping. Its main points:

The HSK word counts are far below what the CEFR levels need in other languages, so the levels cannot be equal.
The official figures implied that a learner could reach B2 after about two years of 2 to 4 hours of lessons a week, or 160 to 320 hours. The association called that unrealistic even for European languages.
Its own earlier estimate was that B2-level Chinese takes about 1,200 to 1,600 hours of lessons, plus private study.

The association proposed its own table, which puts each HSK 2.0 level about two CEFR steps lower than the official one:

HSK 2.0 level	Official table (around 2010)	Teachers' association (2010)
HSK 1	A1	below A1
HSK 2	A2	early A1 (A1.1), without characters
HSK 3	B1	A1
HSK 4	B2	A2
HSK 5	C1	B1
HSK 6	C2	B2

Research has not settled the question either. A study published in 2017 compared HSK 3 and HSK 4 results with CEFR B1 and B2 goals in university Chinese courses in the UK. It found some overlap, more at HSK 4 than HSK 3, and a weak link for writing, and concluded that there is no simple one-to-one match.

Why the comparison is so hard

Different skills. The CEFR describes speaking, listening, reading and writing. The HSK 1 to 6 papers test listening and reading, add writing from HSK 3 in the 2.0 format, and leave speaking to the separate HSKK test.
Characters. Reading Chinese means learning characters, a skill that has no real equivalent in the European languages the CEFR was first used for.
Two versions. Both tables above are about HSK 2.0. HSK 3.0 levels ask for more words, so neither table carries over. As of October 2026, we have not found an official CEFR table for the nine HSK 3.0 levels on chinesetest.cn, so treat any chart you see online as someone's estimate.

In practice: if a form asks for a CEFR level, give your HSK level and score as they are, and ask the institution how it reads them, rather than converting them yourself.

Which HSK Level Should You Aim For?

Pick a level based on what you want to do with Chinese, not on the highest number you can reach.

Your goal	Level to aim for
Travel, small talk, ordering food	HSK 1 to 2
Living in a Chinese-speaking city day to day	HSK 3 to 4
A bachelor's degree taught in Chinese	often HSK 3 to 4 (check the school)
A master's degree taught in Chinese	often HSK 4 to 5 (check the school)
A job where you use Chinese every day	HSK 5 to 6, plus strong speaking
Translation, research or university study in your field	HSK 6, then the HSK 7-9 exam

Universities

Requirements differ by school, program and scholarship, so treat these as patterns, not rules. In the admission guides from Chinese universities that we checked, for 2023 to 2026 entry, bachelor's programs taught in Chinese asked for HSK 3 or HSK 4, and master's programs for HSK 4 or HSK 5. Some set a minimum total, often 180, and some also ask for an HSKK speaking result. Scores are generally accepted for two years from the test date.

The switch to HSK 3.0 may change how schools state their requirements, so ask the admissions office which version and level they accept before you book an exam.

Jobs

There is no single standard for employers. An HSK certificate shows a baseline, but an interview in Chinese usually counts for more. If Chinese will be a core part of your job, aim for HSK 5 or 6 and practice speaking as well.

For work permits in China, Chinese ability is a small part of the points-based assessment. Official guidance published in 2026 describes up to 5 points for Chinese, one point per HSK level up to Level 5 or above. Rules change, so check the current requirements for your city and permit type.

What HSK Level Am I? How to Find Your Level

If you have studied before, you probably know more than you think. Here is a quick way to find your starting point.

Take a placement test. The Learn Chinese app opens with a short placement test that suggests a starting level from HSK 1 to 6. If you have never studied Chinese, you can skip it and start at HSK 1.
Try a full mock paper. Sit a complete practice paper for the suggested level under real timing. If you score clearly above the pass mark, try the next level up. If you are well below it, drop a level.
Scan the word list. Read through the list for your level. If you recognize most of the words and can read them without pinyin, that level is within reach. If almost every word is familiar, look at the next list up.
Check the everyday tasks. Go back to the examples above. The highest level where you can do most of the tasks comfortably is a good estimate of where you are.

A practice score is a guide, not an official result. Your real HSK level is the one on your certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many HSK levels are there?

The current HSK 2.0 exam has six levels. The new HSK 3.0 standard has nine levels in three bands: Elementary (1 to 3), Intermediate (4 to 6) and Advanced (7 to 9). The test organizer has announced that HSK 3.0 opens worldwide on 13 December 2026, so check chinesetest.cn for the version your test center runs.

Which HSK level is considered fluent?

There is no official fluent level. HSK 5 and 6 are where most learners can use Chinese for study or work on familiar topics, and the HSK 7-9 exam covers academic and professional Chinese. Speaking is tested separately in the HSKK, so a written score alone does not prove you speak fluently.

What CEFR level is HSK 4?

When the six-level exam launched around 2010, the official table matched HSK 4 to CEFR B2. A teachers' association in Europe disagreed and placed it at A2. No official CEFR table for the nine HSK 3.0 levels has been published that we could find, so treat any conversion as a rough guide and ask the institution what it accepts.

What HSK level do I need to study at a university in China?

In the university admission guides we checked, for 2023 to 2026 entry, bachelor's programs taught in Chinese asked for HSK 3 or 4 and master's programs for HSK 4 or 5, sometimes with a minimum total score or an HSKK result. Requirements differ by school, program and scholarship, so always check with the institution.

How can I find out my HSK level?

Take a placement test, then try a full mock paper of the level it suggests and compare your score with the pass mark: 120 out of 200 for HSK 1 and 2, and 180 out of 300 for HSK 3 and up. Scanning the word list for that level is a quick extra check.

Is HSK 3.0 harder than HSK 2.0?

At the same level number, yes. HSK 3.0 asks for far more words at the lower levels, for example 500 words for HSK 1 instead of 150. By Level 6 the two lists are close in size. Compare word counts, not level names.

What's Next

Once you know your level, open its study guide: the HSK 1 beginner roadmap, the HSK 2 grammar list, the HSK 3 grammar summary, or the guides for HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. To plan your time, read how long it takes to learn Chinese, and see the app guide for how the app works.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with no account and no ads. Its free placement test suggests where to start, HSK 1 and 2 are free in full, and so is the first mock paper of every level in each format. Learn Chinese Pro unlocks HSK 3 to 6 and all 186 mock papers.