HSK Test Registration: 2026 Dates, Costs and How to Register

HSK test registration happens online on the official Chinese Test Service website, chinesetest.cn: you create an account, choose your level, test format, date and test center, upload a photo and pay the fee. Your registration only counts once you have paid, and you print your admission ticket 5 to 7 days before the test. Paper-based registration usually closes about four weeks before the test date and internet-based registration about ten days before, so plan to book at least a month ahead.

The rules below come from the official candidate information on chinesetest.cn as of October 2026. Dates and fees depend on your country and test center, so always check your center's own notice before you pay. For what the exam itself looks like, see our guide to the HSK exam format and scoring.

HSK Test Registration, Step by Step

What you need before you start

An email address. Each email address can only be used for one account.
Your ID. At a test center outside your home country you must register with your passport; at home, a passport or national ID card. Your name and date of birth must match the ID exactly, because you show the same document on test day.
A photo file. A color photo taken within the last six months, preferably on a white background, as a JPG between 50 KB and 500 KB. Hats, headscarves, hair bands and sunglasses are not allowed unless worn for religious reasons, and heavily edited photos are rejected.
A way to pay. How you pay depends on the test center (see step 6).

How to register for the HSK in seven steps

Create your account on chinesetest.cn with a username, email address and password.
Choose the test. Pick HSK, your level, the test format (paper-based, internet-based at a test center, or internet-based at home where it is offered), the test date and the test center.
Fill in your personal details and check them carefully, then upload your photo.
Add a mailing address if you test in mainland China. Centers in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and outside China do not need one, because you collect your score report from the center.
Confirm and submit your registration.
Pay the fee. At test centers in mainland China you pay online. At centers in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas you pay at the center or in the way the center tells you. Only after payment is your registration valid.
Print your admission ticket from "My Account" 5 to 7 days before the test. Check that your name, gender, date of birth and ID number are correct, and contact your test center straight away if something is wrong.

Three more things to know:

You cannot change your personal details after paying. To fix an error later, you have to email the official service (kaoshi@chinesetest.cn) with supporting documents.
Seats can run out before the deadline, and unpaid registrations do not hold a place.
Keep your admission ticket after the test. You need it to look up your score and to collect or order score reports.

The HSKK speaking test is a separate registration, but some centers sell HSK 3 to 6 together with the matching speaking test, so check what the price includes.

HSK Test Dates 2026

These are the main HSK 1 to 6 dates in the 2026 calendar. Not every center runs every date or every format, and a few countries add local sessions of their own.

Test date	Day	Notes
24 January	Saturday	Held
22 March	Sunday	Held
11 April	Saturday	Held
16 May	Saturday	Held
28 June	Sunday	Held
18 July	Saturday	Held
23 August	Sunday	Held
13 September	Sunday	Held
17 October	Saturday	Held, with the current (HSK 2.0) papers
7 November	Saturday	Last main session with the current papers
13 December	Sunday	First worldwide HSK 3.0 session

For 7 November, paper-based registration has already closed. Centers that run the internet-based test on that date close registration about ten days before, around 28 October.

For 13 December, the official HSK 3.0 announcement gives these registration deadlines, in Beijing time:

Paper-based test: until 24:00 on 16 November 2026.
Internet-based test: until 24:00 on 3 December 2026.

HSK test dates 2027

When we checked in late October 2026, chinesetest.cn still showed only the 2026 test calendar. Look for the 2027 calendar under "News and Notices", and use the "View Test Dates" search on the home page to see what your own center offers. Reports of the September 2026 announcement say the HSK 3.0 papers become the standard exam from 2027, so expect 2027 sessions to use the new format.

How Far Ahead Should You Register?

The deadlines follow a clear pattern. For the 13 December 2026 session, paper-based registration closes 27 days before the test and internet-based registration 10 days before. Test center notices for other 2026 dates show the same gaps: about four weeks for paper, about ten days for internet-based tests. Registration often opens two to three months ahead.

Book as soon as you know your date, and at least four to six weeks ahead. Your center's own deadline can be earlier than the official one, some centers have already warned that places for the first HSK 3.0 session are in high demand, and changing your mind costs more the later you do it:

When you apply (before the test date)	Withdraw and get a refund	Move to a later date
27 days or more	Full refund	Free
10 to 26 days	50% refund	30% of the test fee
Fewer than 10 days	Not possible	Not possible

You can withdraw or reschedule once per registration. The new date must be within six months, with the same center, level and format. In mainland China you apply in "My Account"; elsewhere, through your test center. For sudden illness or similar emergencies, contact your center before the test date with official documents.

HSK Test Center Near Me: How to Find One

The official site has a search for test centers. On the chinesetest.cn home page, open "Find a Test Center" (or "View Test Dates"), choose the test type and your location to see the centers near you. Then open each center's own website for its notice and contact details.

Many centers are at universities, and not every city has one, so check nearby cities too. You can register at a center in another country with your passport. Check which formats each center runs, and read its notice for the fee, payment method, start times and any earlier deadline.

HSK Test Online: Internet-Based Test and Home Edition

"HSK online" can mean two different things:

The internet-based test at a center. You sit at a computer in the test center and type your answers. Registration closes about ten days before the test, and results come out sooner than for the paper test.
The home edition. You take the test at home on your own computer, watched by an online invigilator. On chinesetest.cn it appears as the test type "Internet-based Test (at home)". Only some centers offer it, on selected dates, and some only accept candidates who are in their country on test day.

Each center sets its own technical rules. Home edition notices from recent sessions asked for a desktop or laptop computer (not a tablet or phone) with a webcam and wired headphones, a stable connection, a second device with a camera placed behind you so the invigilator can see you and your screen, and a closed room that nobody else enters. Expect an equipment and room check before you start. Problems with your own equipment or network do not count as an excuse for lateness, so test everything a few days before.

The announcement for the first HSK 3.0 session on 13 December 2026 lists only paper-based and internet-based registration at centers. We found no home edition for that date, so ask your center if you were hoping to test at home.

How Much Does the HSK Test Cost?

There is no single worldwide HSK test cost. Each test center sets its own fee in its local currency, and the price can depend on:

the level: higher levels usually cost more;
the format: paper-based, internet-based at a center, or the home edition;
the speaking test: some centers sell HSK 3 to 6 together with the matching HSKK.

Fees differ a lot between countries and change from year to year, so we do not list prices here. To find yours, look up your center with "Find a Test Center" on chinesetest.cn, then read the center's own website or registration notice, or email the center before you register.

Budget for extras too. An additional printed score report ordered from the official site costs CNY 80 per copy plus postage, and you can order up to 10. You can have them sent to your own address or straight to a university or employer.

Test Day Rules

Your admission ticket and your center's notice have the final word, but these rules from the official candidate information apply everywhere:

Arrive 30 minutes before the start time printed on your admission ticket.
Bring your admission ticket and your original ID, the same document you registered with. Copies are not accepted, and without valid ID you will not be admitted, with no refund. If your passport is at an embassy or immigration office for a visa, bring a copy of it and the original visa application receipt.
Bring two or more 2B pencils and an eraser for a paper-based test. For an internet-based test, you may not bring paper or pencils.
Leave everything else in the storage area. Bags, phones, watches, laptops, music players, timers, recording devices, food and water are not allowed in the test room. Bringing one in can get you disqualified, with no refund or new date.
If you are late, you can only enter after the listening section has ended, and the lost time is not given back. Once the reading section has started, late candidates are not admitted. For the speaking test, you cannot enter after the start time.
There are no breaks. You may only go to the restroom with the chief examiner's permission, leaving your ticket and ID with the invigilator, and the time is not added back.

Cheating ends your test and cancels your result. If someone else sits the test in your place, your result is cancelled and the person who took it is banned from the test for two years.

When Do HSK Scores and Certificates Come?

The official document is called a score report, though many people call it the HSK certificate.

Test	Online results	Printed score report
Paper-based HSK	About one month after the exam	Outside mainland China: sent to your center about 45 days after the exam, for you to collect. Mainland China: posted within 5 working days of the results
Internet-based HSK	15 days after the exam	Same as above
Internet-based speaking test	20 days after the exam	Same as above

Public holidays can push these dates back, and if your results are late, contact your test center. You look up your result under "Results Inquiry" on chinesetest.cn. For the paper-based test on 13 December 2026, test center notices give 15 January 2027 as the date for online results.

How Long Is an HSK Score Accepted?

The official site says HSK scores are valid for two years from the day of the exam, as proof of your Chinese level. This matters most for university admission and scholarships in China. Some schools and employers accept older results, so ask the institution which dates it accepts. The switch to HSK 3.0 does not change results you already have: an HSK 2.0 score stays valid for two years from its test date.

The HSK 3.0 Switch on 13 December 2026

In September 2026 the official test organizer announced that HSK 3.0 opens worldwide on 13 December 2026, with paper-based and internet-based tests. For registration, this means:

The last HSK 2.0 session in the main calendar is 7 November 2026. Some countries run extra local sessions, for example in early December, so ask your center if you need an HSK 2.0 result.
13 December is an HSK 3.0 session. If you book that date, you sit the new paper for your level.
The speaking test may be part of your booking. In the January 2026 HSK 3.0 trial, candidates for HSK 3 to 6 had to register for the matching speaking test at the same time, and some centers already sell the two together. Check your center's notice.
Your study plan may need to change. A new HSK 4 is not the same as an old HSK 4, as our guide to HSK 3.0 vs HSK 2.0 explains.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register for the HSK?

Create an account on the official site, chinesetest.cn, choose your level, format, date and test center, fill in your details, upload a photo and pay the fee online or through your test center. Your registration only counts once you have paid. Print your admission ticket from My Account 5 to 7 days before the test.

How much does the HSK test cost?

There is no single worldwide price. Each test center sets its own fee in its local currency, and it can depend on the level, the format and whether the speaking test is included. Find your center with the test center search on chinesetest.cn, then check the center's own notice or ask it before you book.

What are the next HSK test dates?

The remaining main HSK dates in 2026 are 7 November, the last regular session with the current papers, and 13 December, the first worldwide HSK 3.0 session. For 13 December, registration closes on 16 November for the paper-based test and on 3 December for the internet-based test, Beijing time. The 2027 calendar had not been published when we checked.

Can I take the HSK online at home?

Some test centers offer a home edition, listed as 'Internet-based Test (at home)' in the test date search on chinesetest.cn. You usually need a computer with a webcam, headphones, a second device for the invigilator's view and a quiet room. The 13 December 2026 HSK 3.0 announcement only lists tests at centers.

How long does it take to get HSK results?

Under the official rules, paper-based results come out about one month after the exam and internet-based results 15 days after it. Outside mainland China, printed score reports reach your test center about 45 days after the exam, and you collect them there.

How long is an HSK score valid?

The official site says HSK scores are valid for two years from the day of the exam, as proof of your Chinese level. Schools, scholarship programs and employers decide which dates they accept, so check with them if your result is older.

Sources

The rules in this article come from "Exams information for candidates" (updated 2 April 2026), the HSK level pages and the Additional Score Report page on chinesetest.cn, run by Chinese Testing International, and from the official HSK 3.0 announcement of September 2026. Other dates, deadlines and fees come from 2026 test center notices. For anything else, email kaoshi@chinesetest.cn or your test center.

What's Next

Once you have booked, use the weeks before the exam for timed practice. Start with our free HSK practice test, check the HSK exam format and scoring for the timing of each section, and review the word list for your level, from the HSK 1 vocabulary list to the HSK 6 vocabulary list.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with no account and no ads. Its full-length mock tests follow the real exam's length and timing in both the HSK 2.0 and HSK 3.0 formats. The first paper of every level in each format is free, and Learn Chinese Pro unlocks all 186. See the app guide for details.