HSKK stands for Hanyu Shuiping Kouyu Kaoshi (汉语水平口语考试), the speaking test of the HSK. There is no examiner: the questions are played to the whole room and you record your answers. It has three levels, each scored out of 100 with 60 to pass. From December 13, 2026, HSK 3.0 replaces it with a separate speaking test for each level from 3 to 6.
Read the transcript
The HSKK is the speaking test of the HSK.
There is no examiner asking questions.
You listen to the questions, then speak into a recorder.
Everyone speaks at once, so speak clearly, at normal volume or a little louder.
Today the HSKK has three levels.
Elementary: 27 items, about 20 minutes.
Intermediate: 14 items, about 23 minutes.
Advanced: 6 items, about 25 minutes.
Every level has three parts.
Part one is listen, then say it back. Each sentence plays only once.
The middle part depends on the level: short answers, describing a picture, or reading aloud.
The last part is answering printed questions, after a few minutes to prepare.
The test is scored out of 100. 60 is a pass.
Markers listen for three things: accuracy, fluency, and enough content.
Silence scores zero. Never leave an item blank.
From December 13, 2026, HSK 3.0 changes the speaking test.
Each level from HSK 3 to HSK 6 gets its own speaking test.
Still three parts: say it back, describe a picture, answer questions.
To sum up, three things to remember.
The HSKK is recorded, with no examiner.
Three parts: say it back, a middle part that depends on the level, and answering questions.
60 out of 100 passes. Silence scores zero.
Timelines for each level and sentences to practise are in the article.
Want to practise speaking? The Myra app is free during beta.
In this article
What is the HSKK?
HSKK is short for 汉语水平口语考试 (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǒuyǔ Kǎoshì), the "Chinese level spoken-language test". The second K stands for kǒuyǔ, spoken language. It is run by the same organiser as the HSK, and the official site calls it HSK Speaking.
If you have sat a speaking exam like IELTS, drop that picture: there is no examiner across the table. The candidate handbook describes the format as spoken answers recorded on the spot. One recording of the questions is played to the whole room, each candidate speaks into their own recording device, and the recordings are marked later.
HSK vs HSKK: what is the difference?
| HSK | HSKK | |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | Listening, reading, writing | Speaking |
| Levels (current format) | Six, HSK 1 to HSK 6 | Three: Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced |
| How you answer | Mark answers, write characters, or work on a computer | Listen, then speak; your answers are recorded |
| Length | 40 to 140 minutes | 20 to 25 minutes, preparation included |
| Scoring | Out of 200 or 300 | Out of 100; 60 passes |
For the written exam and what each level requires, see HSK levels explained.
The three HSKK levels, minute by minute
Each strip below is one test in the order it happens. The width of a block matches the minutes it takes. The grey block is preparation time: you read the paper and plan, without speaking yet.
- 1Listen and repeat听后重复15 items: each sentence plays once; you repeat it word for word6 min
- 2Listen and answer听后回答10 items: each item is a short question; you give a short answer4 min
- 3Preparationread the paper and plan the remaining answers7 min
- 4Answer questions回答问题2 items: two printed questions; you answer at length3 min
- 1Listen and repeat听后重复10 items: each sentence plays once; you repeat it word for word5 min
- 2Preparationread the paper and plan the remaining answers10 min
- 3Describe a picture看图说话2 items: one picture per item; you talk about it4 min
- 4Answer questions回答问题2 items: two printed questions; you answer at length4 min
- 1Listen and retell听后复述3 items: each item is a short passage; you retell the main content8 min
- 2Preparationread the paper and plan the remaining answers10 min
- 3Read aloud朗读1 item: read a printed passage aloud2 min
- 4Answer questions回答问题2 items: two printed questions; you answer at length5 min
Sources: the HSKK page on chinesetest.cn and CTI's candidate handbook. You will also see totals of 17, 21 and 24 minutes quoted: those are printed on the earliest sample papers. The official site now gives 20, 23 and 25.
Three things to take from the strips:
- Every level opens with listening. Elementary and Intermediate start with sentences you repeat word for word. Advanced starts with passages you retell. If your ear cannot keep up, you lose marks before you have said anything of your own.
- Every level ends with printed questions. At Elementary you are expected to say at least five sentences per question, in 1.5 minutes. Intermediate gives 2 minutes per question and Advanced 2.5.
- Pinyin disappears at Advanced. The printed questions carry pinyin at Elementary and Intermediate. The Advanced paper is in characters only, including the passage you read aloud.
What happens on the day
- Arrive 30 minutes early with your IDCTI's rules ask candidates to arrive half an hour before the start, and latecomers to a speaking test are not admitted. The name on your ID has to match your registration exactly.
- Sit down and check the recorderEach candidate has their own recording device. The whole room hears the same recording of the questions.
- Listen and answer, one item at a timeIn the repeat task each sentence plays once and you say it straight back. There is no replay.
- Use the preparation timeBefore the longer answers you get time to read and plan: 7 minutes at Elementary for part 3, and 10 minutes at Intermediate and Advanced for parts 2 and 3.
- Speak for the full time, in a room full of voicesEveryone talks at once. The handbook tells candidates to speak at normal volume or slightly louder, and says the voices around you do not affect how your recording is judged.
How is the HSKK scored?
Each level is marked out of 100 and 60 passes. CTI publishes scoring notes for self-assessment that sort each task type into three bands. This table summarises them.
| Task | High band | Middle band | Low band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listen and repeat | Repeats the sentence accurately | Cannot repeat the whole sentence | What is said has little to do with the sentence |
| Listen and answer | Answers correctly and concisely | Answers correctly, with pauses, repetition or grammar errors | The answer is unclear |
| Listen and retell | Retells the main content fully and fluently, with few pauses | Retells part of it, with many pauses and repetitions and some grammar errors | Far from the original, disorganised, little information |
| Read aloud | Reads fluently with good pronunciation and intonation, few slips | Reads most of it, with many misreadings, pauses and repetitions | Manages only a few sentences |
| Describe a picture | Matches the picture and is fluent | Broadly matches the picture, with many pauses, repetitions and grammar errors | Barely related to the picture |
| Answer questions | Answers the question with rich content, fluently | Answers it, but with little information and many pauses and repetitions | Off the point, thin and disconnected |
Read down the columns and three things decide your band, plus one footnote worth remembering:
- Accuracy in the repeat task: drop a clause and you are in the middle band.
- Fluency everywhere: pauses and repetition are named in almost every middle band.
- Amount of content in the long answers: a correct but short answer stays in the middle band.
- Silence scores zero. The notes say so directly: no answer, no marks for that item.
The scoring notes have no separate line for tones. They sit inside "accurately" in the repeat task and inside "pronunciation and intonation" in the read-aloud task. A recording is unforgiving here: nobody nods along or guesses what you meant. If tones still feel like guesswork, start with a system for tones that sticks.
Try it: listen and repeat
We wrote the sentences below in the style of each task. They are not taken from any exam paper. Play each one once, say it back out loud straight away, and only then open the text to check yourself.
Elementary style: short sentences, HSK 1 and 2 words
Sentence 1Listen first, then tap to see the text
我喜欢喝茶。
Wǒ xǐhuan hē chá.
I like drinking tea.
Sentence 2Listen first, then tap to see the text
今天天气很好。
Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo.
The weather is very nice today.
Sentence 3Listen first, then tap to see the text
他是我的中国朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de Zhōngguó péngyou.
He is my Chinese friend.
Elementary, part 2: hear a question, give a short answer
Question 1Listen first, then tap to see the text
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name?
Question 2Listen first, then tap to see the text
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are there in your family?
Question 3Listen first, then tap to see the text
你每天几点起床？
Nǐ měi tiān jǐ diǎn qǐchuáng?
What time do you get up every day?
Intermediate style: longer sentences with two clauses
Sentence 1Listen first, then tap to see the text
虽然工作很忙，但是他每天都运动。
Suīrán gōngzuò hěn máng, dànshì tā měi tiān dōu yùndòng.
Although work is busy, he exercises every day.
Sentence 2Listen first, then tap to see the text
这个问题我们明天再解决吧。
Zhège wèntí wǒmen míngtiān zài jiějué ba.
Let's deal with this problem tomorrow.
Sentence 3Listen first, then tap to see the text
请把你的护照给我看一下。
Qǐng bǎ nǐ de hùzhào gěi wǒ kàn yíxià.
Please let me have a look at your passport.
Advanced style: hear a passage, then retell it
PassageListen first, then tap to see the text
很多人觉得学外语最难的是记生词，其实更难的是开口说。因为怕说错，所以不敢说；越不敢说，就越说不好。办法只有一个：每天都说一点儿，说错了也没关系。
Hěn duō rén juéde xué wàiyǔ zuì nán de shì jì shēngcí, qíshí gèng nán de shì kāikǒu shuō. Yīnwèi pà shuō cuò, suǒyǐ bù gǎn shuō; yuè bù gǎn shuō, jiù yuè shuō bu hǎo. Bànfǎ zhǐ yǒu yí gè: měi tiān dōu shuō yìdiǎnr, shuō cuò le yě méi guānxi.
Many people think the hardest part of learning a language is memorising words; in fact, opening your mouth is harder. You are afraid of mistakes, so you do not dare to speak; the less you dare, the worse you speak. There is only one way out: speak a little every day, and never mind the mistakes.
And the printed questions at the end? These come from the official sample papers compiled by Hanban. Set a timer and answer out loud:
| Level | Question from the sample paper | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 每天睡觉前，你会做些什么？ Měi tiān shuìjiào qián, nǐ huì zuò xiē shénme? What do you usually do before going to bed each day? | 1.5 min |
| Intermediate | 你喜欢和什么样的人交朋友？为什么？ Nǐ xǐhuan hé shénmeyàng de rén jiāo péngyou? Wèi shénme? What kind of people do you like to make friends with? Why? | 2 min |
| Advanced | 你认为小孩子该不该有零花钱？为什么？ Nǐ rènwéi xiǎo háizi gāi bu gāi yǒu línghuāqián? Wèi shénme? Do you think children should have pocket money? Why? | 2.5 min |
From December 13, 2026: a speaking test for each level
HSK 3.0 launches on December 13, 2026, and it changes speaking too. Instead of three levels, each HSK level from 3 to 6 has its own speaking test, named after the level: HSK (Level 3) Speaking through HSK (Level 6) Speaking. 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 for levels 3 to 6, November 2025.
Set against today's HSKK, three changes stand out:
- Shorter at the bottom. The level 3 speaking test has 15 items in about 15 minutes, against 27 items in 20 minutes for HSKK Elementary.
- Picture description at every level. It used to appear only at Intermediate. Level 3 has five pictures with 15 seconds each.
- No read-aloud task. The level 5 and 6 sample papers have no passage to read aloud, unlike HSKK Advanced.
The two printed questions on the level 3 sample paper give a feel for the level:
- 请介绍一下你的一位家人。 Qǐng jièshào yíxià nǐ de yí wèi jiārén. (Please introduce a member of your family.)
- 你喜欢做什么样的工作？为什么？ Nǐ xǐhuan zuò shénmeyàng de gōngzuò? Wèi shénme? (What kind of work would you like to do? Why?)
Each comes with 3 minutes to prepare and 1.5 minutes to speak. The wider picture of the new exam is in HSK 3.0: what changes and who it affects.
Do you have to take it?
In the six-level format, it depends on your region. Where the two are bundled, CTI's registration note tells candidates for HSK 3 to 6 that they "must also register for an HSK speaking test" and gives the pairing: HSK 3 with Elementary, HSK 4 with Intermediate, HSK 5 and 6 with Advanced. Test centres in Vietnam, for example, apply that rule and charge one combined fee. Elsewhere it is looser: a UK test centre states that the written and speaking tests "can be taken separately" in the old format.
Under HSK 3.0 the question mostly goes away, since levels 3 to 6 are registered with their speaking test. Either way, written and spoken results are reported separately, so you can pass one and fail the other. If an application asks for both, do not leave speaking for the last week.
A 15-minute daily routine
- 5 minutes of repeatingPlay a sentence, stop, say it back exactly, then look at the text. Start with sentences of five to seven characters and lengthen them. This is the opening task in both the old and the new format.
- 5 minutes of timed answersPick a question, take the preparation time your level allows, then talk until the time is up. The first goal is simply never to go silent, because silence scores zero.
- 5 minutes of listening to yourselfRecord that answer and play it back. Mark the hesitations, the repeated words and any word whose tone you were not sure of, then say those parts again.
The third step is the hardest to do alone, because your own ear lets your own mistakes through. That is the job Myra does for you: it listens as you speak and scores the tone of each word. You can also upload your own lesson or word list and practise that, or warm up your ear in Myra's games.
Key takeaways
- The HSKK is recorded, with no live examiner. Everyone in the room speaks at the same time.
- Three levels: Elementary has 27 items in about 20 minutes, Intermediate 14 in 23, Advanced 6 in 25.
- Each level is scored out of 100, and 60 passes. An unanswered item scores zero.
- From December 13, 2026, HSK 3, 4, 5 and 6 each come with their own speaking test.
- The first task at every level is listen and repeat or retell, so listening and tones come first.
Common questions
Is the HSKK mandatory?
It depends on where and when you sit it. In the six-level format, some regions require candidates for HSK 3 and above to take the matching HSKK level, while others let you book the two separately. Under HSK 3.0, from December 13, 2026, candidates for levels 3 to 6 register for the speaking test of the same level together with the written paper.
What is the passing score for the HSKK?
All three levels are scored out of 100 and 60 is a pass. The speaking score is valid for two years from the test date, the same as the written HSK.
Is there an examiner in the HSKK?
No. The recording with the questions is played to the whole room, and each candidate speaks into their own recording device. The recordings are marked afterwards.
Does the HSKK paper show pinyin?
The listening tasks have nothing to read. For the final part, where the questions are printed, the Elementary and Intermediate papers print them with pinyin. The Advanced paper is in characters only, including the passage you read aloud.
Which HSKK level goes with which HSK level?
Where the two are bundled, HSK 3 goes with HSKK Elementary, HSK 4 with Intermediate, and HSK 5 and 6 with Advanced. The official level descriptions put Elementary at about 200 words, Intermediate at about 900 and Advanced at about 3,000.
How long do HSKK results take?
About a month for the paper-based sitting. For computer-based sittings, written results come after about 15 days and speaking results after about 20, later if public holidays fall in between.
Sources
- chinesetest.cn, HSK Speaking (HSKK) page: item counts, durations, scoring and score validity for the three levels. Read on October 5, 2026.
- CTI, HSKK scoring notes for self-assessment (HSKK 评分说明，自测用): the high, middle and low bands for the six task types.
- CTI candidate handbook (汉语水平考试考生手册): structure and timing of each part, the recorded format, the scoring system.
- HSKK sample papers, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced (H71003, H81003, H91003, H81312), compiled by Hanban: sample questions.
- CLEC, four HSK speaking sample papers for levels 3 to 6 of HSK 3.0, November 2025.
- CTI, notice of September 8, 2026 on the launch of HSK 3.0 on December 13, 2026, chinesetest.cn/news/51336883.
- Sheffield Confucius Institute, HSK page, read October 5, 2026: written and speaking tests bookable separately in the old format.