HSK 3.0 is the new version of the HSK: nine levels in three bands, launching worldwide on December 13, 2026. Levels 1 to 6 keep their names but need more words and have fewer questions, writing starts at level 2, and levels 3 to 6 each come with a speaking test. Levels 7 to 9 share one paper.
In this article
What is HSK 3.0?
HSK 3.0 is the third version of the HSK, the standard test of Chinese for non-native speakers. The version sat until now, known as HSK 2.0, has six levels and dates from 2009. The new one has nine levels in three bands, which Chinese sources call "three stages, nine levels" (三等九级):
- Elementary, levels 1 to 3: basic communication in daily life.
- Intermediate, levels 4 to 6: everyday communication in study, work and life.
- Advanced, levels 7 to 9: professional, vocational and academic Chinese.
The nine-level framework is not new. It comes from a national standard China issued in 2021. What arrived in 2025 and 2026 is the exam built on it: a syllabus, sample papers and, at last, a launch date.
Timeline: from the standard to the first sitting
- The nine-level standard is publishedChina's Ministry of Education and State Language Commission issue the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021), in force from July 1, 2021.
- HSK 3.0 is releasedAt the World Chinese Language Conference in Beijing, CLEC presents the new exam. The syllabus and sample papers go up on chinesetest.cn, and a 23-volume textbook series is launched.
- First global pilotHeld at selected test centres for levels 1 to 6. Candidates for levels 3 to 6 register for the matching speaking test as well.
- The launch date is fixedCTI announces that HSK 3.0 launches worldwide on December 13, 2026. A further pilot runs on September 20.
- The last old-format dates in the global calendarSome centres add a final session of their own: the Sheffield Confucius Institute, for one, lists December 5 as its last HSK 2.0 date.
- First official sitting of HSK 3.0Registration closes November 16 for the paper test and December 3 for the computer test, Beijing time.
Will the old format still be offered after December 13? CTI's notice does not say. One UK test centre states that from December 13 "all HSK exams will move across to the HSK 3.0 format", and CTI's partner in Vietnam told the press in July 2026 that the two versions will not run in parallel. Plan on the old format ending.
What changes
1. Every level needs more words
2. Fewer items, less time
| Level | Six-level format | HSK 3.0 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 40 items, 40 min | 40 items, 40 min | 0 items, 0 min |
| HSK 2 | 60 items, 55 min | 60 items, 60 min | 0 items, +5 min |
| HSK 3 | 80 items, 90 min | 70 items, 83 min | −10 items, −7 min |
| HSK 4 | 100 items, 105 min | 70 items, 85 min | −30 items, −20 min |
| HSK 5 | 100 items, 125 min | 72 items, 110 min | −28 items, −15 min |
| HSK 6 | 101 items, 140 min | 82 items, 125 min | −19 items, −15 min |
Sources: the level pages on chinesetest.cn (old format) and CLEC's HSK 3.0 sample papers (November 2025). Times include five minutes for personal details.
3. Writing from level 2, and a list of characters to write by hand
The old format had no writing section until HSK 3. The new HSK 2 has ten writing items in ten minutes. The syllabus also splits characters into two lists: those you must recognise (认读字) and those you must be able to write by hand (书写字).
| Level | Words | Characters to recognise | Characters to handwrite |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 300 | 246 | 100 (one list for levels 1 and 2) |
| HSK 2 | 500 | 371 | 100 (one list for levels 1 and 2) |
| HSK 3 | 1,000 | 655 | 250 |
| HSK 4 | 2,000 | 1,096 | 400 |
| HSK 5 | 3,600 | 1,527 | 550 |
| HSK 6 | 5,400 | 1,940 | 700 |
| HSK 7–9 | 11,000 | 3,088 | 1,200 |
All figures are cumulative from level 1, counted from the lists in the HSK syllabus (CLEC, November 2025).
The last column is the good news: the new HSK 4 expects you to recognise 1,096 characters but to handwrite only 400. You do not need to drill the writing of every character you can read.
4. The new papers in full
| Level | Words | Listening | Reading | Writing | Items | Time | Speaking test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 300 | 20 | 20 | – | 40 | 40 min | none |
| HSK 2 | 500 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 60 | 60 min | none |
| HSK 3 | 1,000 | 30 | 30 | 10 | 70 | 83 min | 15 items, about 15 min |
| HSK 4 | 2,000 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 70 | 85 min | 5 items, about 20 min |
| HSK 5 | 3,600 | 35 | 35 | 2 | 72 | 110 min | 5 items, about 23 min |
| HSK 6 | 5,400 | 40 | 40 | 2 | 82 | 125 min | 5 items, about 23 min |
Why are there two sets of word counts for HSK 3.0?
If you have read that the new HSK 1 needs 500 words, or HSK 3 needs 2,245, the number has a real source and the wrong use. Those are the figures of the 2021 Standards. The exam follows the syllabus published in November 2025, which asks for far fewer words at the lower levels.
| Level | 2021 Standards | Exam syllabus, November 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 500 | 300 |
| HSK 2 | 1,272 | 500 |
| HSK 3 | 2,245 | 1,000 |
| HSK 4 | 3,245 | 2,000 |
| HSK 5 | 4,316 | 3,600 |
| HSK 6 | 5,456 | 5,400 |
When you pick a textbook, an app or a word list, check which of the two it grades words by. Material built on the 2021 Standards is still usable, but a word it labels level 2 may be a level 3 or level 4 word in the exam.
Speaking, level by level
In the old format, speaking is a separate exam called HSKK with only three levels. In HSK 3.0, each level from 3 to 6 has its own speaking test, and candidates for those levels register for it together with the written paper. HSK 1 and HSK 2 have no speaking test.
| Level | Part | Items | Prep per item | Speaking per item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 315 items, about 15 min | Listen and repeat 听后重复 | 8 | none | 10 s |
| Describe a picture 看图说话 | 5 | none | 15 s | |
| Answer questions 回答问题 | 2 | 3 min | 1.5 min | |
| HSK 45 items, about 20 min | Listen and retell 听后复述 | 2 | none | 40 s |
| Describe a picture 看图说话 | 1 | 3 min | 2 min | |
| Answer questions 回答问题 | 2 | 3.5 min | 2 min | |
| HSK 55 items, about 23 min | Listen and retell 听后复述 | 2 | none | 1.5 min |
| Describe a picture 看图说话 | 1 | 3 min | 2 min | |
| Answer questions 回答问题 | 2 | 3.5 min | 2.5 min | |
| HSK 65 items, about 23 min | Listen and retell 听后复述 | 2 | none | 1.5 min |
| Describe a picture 看图说话 | 1 | 3 min | 2 min | |
| Answer questions 回答问题 | 2 | 3.5 min | 2.5 min |
Source: CLEC's four HSK speaking sample papers, levels 3 to 6, November 2025.
All four share the same three parts: listen and repeat or retell, describe a picture, answer questions. How each part runs and how to practise for it is in HSKK explained.
HSK 7–9: one paper, three levels
The top three levels do not get three papers. Everyone sits the same test, and the score places you at level 7, 8 or 9, or below level 7. It has five parts: listening, reading, writing, translation and speaking. The HSK 3.0 sample paper has 91 items and takes about 200 minutes, on computer only.
This paper was running before levels 1 to 6 changed, with two sittings in 2026, on May 9 and November 22. It is aimed at postgraduate students in China, Chinese majors and people who research or work in Chinese. If your goal is HSK 4 or HSK 5, you can leave it alone for now.
What should you do?
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Booked for October 17 or November 7, 2026 | Sit it as planned. It is the six-level format, and under the current rule the score is valid for two years from the test date. |
| Studying for the old format, not yet booked | For November 7, paper registration closes October 11 and computer registration October 28, earlier if the centre fills. Ask your centre whether it runs a final old-format session. If you cannot make one, switch to the HSK 3.0 sample papers. |
| Planning to sit it from December 2026 | Prepare for the new syllabus now: get the word list for your level, practise handwriting the required characters, work through the sample papers on chinesetest.cn, and speak out loud every day. |
| Holding a valid HSK certificate | Nothing. There is no conversion table and no notice cancelling old results. When you apply somewhere, ask which format it accepts. |
| Just starting out | You lose nothing. Aim for the 300 words of the new HSK 1, get pinyin and tones right, and start writing characters early, because level 2 already has a writing section. |
One thing changes for everyone from level 3 up: you will be recorded speaking, starting with sentences you have to repeat exactly. That rewards the habit most self-taught learners skip, which is saying words out loud and checking the tones. It is the part of the exam Myra was built for: it scores each word's tone as you speak, and you can upload your own lesson or word list and practise that.
5 claims that are wrong
| What you may have read | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| "HSK 3.0 launches in July 2026" | The first official sitting is December 13, 2026. July 2026 is the implementation date printed on the syllabus cover. |
| "The new HSK 1 needs 500 words" | That is the 2021 Standards figure. The exam syllabus lists 300 words for level 1 and 1,000 for level 3. |
| "HSK 7–9 is still in development" | HSK 7–9 has two dates in the 2026 calendar: May 9 and November 22. |
| "Old certificates become invalid" | No notice says so. The current rule: a score is valid for two years from the test date. |
| "HSK 3.0 removes handwriting until level 5" | The syllabus has a handwriting list from the first two levels, and the sample HSK 2 paper has a ten-item writing section. |
Everything on this page was checked against the sources below on October 5, 2026.
Not sure where you stand against the new levels? Take the 2-minute level check. For the foundations, start with a system for tones, and for vocabulary practice that does not feel like homework, try Myra's games.
Key takeaways
- HSK 3.0 launches on December 13, 2026. The last old-format dates in the global calendar are October 17 and November 7.
- Word counts in the exam syllabus: 300, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,600 and 5,400 for levels 1 to 6, and 11,000 for levels 7 to 9.
- The figures 500, 1,272 and 2,245 come from the 2021 Standards, not from the exam.
- The new papers are shorter, add writing at level 2 and attach a speaking test to each level from 3 to 6.
- No notice cancels old results: the rule is still two years from the test date.
Common questions
When does HSK 3.0 start?
The first official sitting is December 13, 2026, according to the notice CTI published on September 8, 2026. Registration closes on November 16 for the paper test and December 3 for the computer test, Beijing time. The "July 2026" you may have read is the implementation date printed on the cover of the syllabus, not a test date.
Is HSK 3.0 harder?
Each level needs more words: HSK 3 goes from 600 to 1,000 and HSK 4 from 1,200 to 2,000. In exchange the papers are shorter: HSK 4 is 70 items in 85 minutes instead of 100 items in 105 minutes. The real additions are writing from level 2 and a compulsory speaking test from level 3.
Are old HSK certificates still valid?
As of October 5, 2026, the organiser has published no conversion table between the two formats and no notice cancelling earlier results. The rule on the official site is unchanged: a score is valid for two years from the test date. Which format a university or employer accepts is its own decision, so ask before you apply.
Do I have to start over if I studied for the old HSK?
No. The words you know still count. Take the word list for your target level from the new syllabus, fill the gaps, practise handwriting the required characters, and get used to the new paper with the sample papers on chinesetest.cn.
What is HSK 7–9?
It is the paper for the advanced band. All three levels share one test covering listening, reading, writing, translation and speaking, and your score decides whether you come out at level 7, 8 or 9. The syllabus lists about 11,000 words for it. It was already running before levels 1 to 6 changed, with two sittings in 2026, on May 9 and November 22.
Are there textbooks for HSK 3.0?
Yes. A 23-volume series, the New HSK Course (新HSK教程), developed with the exam's organisers and published by FLTRP, was launched on November 15, 2025. The syllabus itself, with the complete word lists, and a set of sample papers can be downloaded from chinesetest.cn.
Sources
- Chinese Testing International (CTI), notice "HSK 3.0 will be officially launched worldwide on December 13, 2026", published September 8, 2026, chinesetest.cn/news/51336883.
- Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), HSK syllabus (HSK 考试大纲), cover dated "2025-11 发布, 2026-07 实施": the 11,000-word list and the character lists by level.
- CLEC, HSK 3.0 sample papers (levels 1 to 6, levels 7–9, and four speaking papers for levels 3 to 6), November 2025, from chinesetest.cn.
- Ministry of Education of China, announcement of the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards (GF0025-2021), March 31, 2021, in force from July 1, 2021.
- CCTV News, December 19, 2025: the global pilot of January 31, 2026.
- Xinhua, November 17, 2025: launch of the New HSK Course at the HSK global partners conference.
- Sheffield Confucius Institute, HSK page, read October 5, 2026: its final old-format date and the move to HSK 3.0.
- chinesetest.cn, HSK 7–9 page and the 2026 test calendar. Read on October 5, 2026.