HSK 5 sits in the intermediate band (levels 4–6). Under the HSK 3.0 syllabus (in force from December 13, 2026) it requires 3,600 words, 1,527 characters to read and 550 to write by hand; the paper has 72 items in 110 minutes, with a separate 5-item speaking test of about 23 minutes. Under the six-level format, sat until November 2026, HSK 5 means 2,500 words, 100 items in 125 minutes and no official pass mark.
In this article
What HSK 5 requires
HSK 5 sits in the intermediate band (levels 4–6) of the nine HSK 3.0 levels. The official description of what the level means is:
能用中文就工作、学业场景进行准确、恰当交流。
Accurate, appropriate exchanges at work and in academic study.
Behind that sentence are three lists in the syllabus of November 2025: 3,600 words (counted from level 1, of which 1,600 first appear at level 5), 1,527 characters to recognise and 550 to write by hand. Against HSK 4, that is 1,600 more words, 431 more characters and 150 more to handwrite.
If you test before December 13, 2026, you sit the six-level format: HSK 5 there means 2,500 words from the old list, 100 items in 125 minutes. The two formats use two different word lists, so check your test date before choosing study material.
The HSK 5 paper
| HSK 5 | Six-level format (until Nov 2026) | HSK 3.0 (from December 13, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Words (cumulative) | 2,500 | 3,600 |
| Characters to read | not stated | 1,527 |
| Characters to handwrite | not stated | 550 |
| Listening | 45 items | 35 items |
| Reading | 45 items | 35 items |
| Writing | 10 items | 2 items |
| Items in total | 100 | 72 |
| Time | 125 min | 110 min |
| Pass mark | none stated (out of 300) | not published (October 5, 2026) |
| Speaking | HSKK Advanced, a separate test | 5 items, about 23 min, per level |
Sources: the HSK 5 page on chinesetest.cn (read on October 5, 2026) for the six-level format; the HSK 3.0 syllabus and sample papers (CLEC, November 2025) for the right-hand column. Six-level timings include five minutes for personal details.
The visible differences: the HSK 3.0 paper is shorter (72 items against 100) and quicker (110 minutes against 125), but asks for more words (3,600 against 2,500) and attaches a speaking test at the same level instead of HSKK. Everything that changes is in HSK 3.0: what changes and who it affects.
The speaking test at HSK 5
Under the six-level format, speaking is the separate HSKK test; HSKK Advanced (6 items, about 25 minutes, 60 out of 100 to pass) is the one paired with HSK 5, and whether you must take it depends on the test centre. From December 13, 2026, HSK 3.0 replaces the three HSKK levels with one speaking test per level from 3 to 6. At HSK 5:
| Level | Part | Items | Prep per item | Speaking per item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
How each part runs, with samples you can listen to, is in HSKK explained: the HSK speaking test.
HSK 5 vocabulary: 1,600 new words
Twelve words spread through the list of 1,600 new words. Tap a card to hear it.
See all 1,600 HSK 5 words with audio, meanings and examples →
Many lists say HSK 5 has 4,316 words. That figure is from the 2021 Standards, the framework the new exam grew out of. The exam follows the syllabus CLEC published in November 2025, and its counts are the ones on this page: 3,600 in total, 1,600 new at this level.
HSK 5 grammar
The 2025 syllabus lists the grammar of each level. These are the level 5 items, in the syllabus's own wording: word classes with the words named, set formats, complements, special sentence patterns and complex sentences. Any pattern here you cannot yet use is a gap to close before the test.
| Group | Items (as in the syllabus) |
|---|---|
| Suffix and pronouns | —头；彼此、如此、本 |
| Measure words | 册、朵、届、颗、匹、行、架、群、支、根、批、束、副、集、周；眼 |
| Adverbs | 过于、相当、较、可、格外、极其；时刻、曾经、立刻、连忙、始终、早已、即将、急忙、渐渐、尽快、早晚；老是、通常、时常；尽量、亲自；便、一旦；似乎、仿佛；毕竟、居然、反正、根本、果然、简直、绝对、的确、反而、白、刚好 |
| Prepositions, conjunctions and particles | 自从；朝、沿（着）；替、同、较；凭、据、依据；以及、同；从而、可见、假如、总之；似的 |
| Four-character and set phrases | A来A去、A着A着、没A没B、说A就A；不得了、用不着 |
| Set formats | 从……来看；A的A，B的B；（自）……以来；由……组成；X也不是，Y也不是；X也X不得，Y也Y不得；X是它，Y也是它；X着也是X着；不管怎样说；真有你/他/她的；X什么X；什么X不X（的）；不X白不X；X来X去，都是/就是……；动词+什么（就）是什么 |
| Adverbials and complements | 多项状语；可能补语：动词+得/不得；程度补语：形容词/心理动词+得+不得了；趋向补语表示状态：动词/形容词+下来/下去/起来/过来/过去；状态补语：动词/形容词+得+动词短语/主谓短语/固定短语 |
| Special sentence patterns | “有”字句：主语+有+着+宾语；主语+动词+有+宾语；“把”字句：主语+把+宾语+一+动词；主语+把+宾语1+动词+宾语2；连动句：前后两个动词性词语具有因果、转折、条件关系；比较句：A+形容词+B+数量补语；被动句：主语+被/叫/让+宾语+给+动词+其他成分 |
| Complex sentences | ……，便……；或是……，或是……；一旦……，就……；假如……，（就）……；万一……，（就）……；……，要不然/不然……；……，因而……；……，可见……；哪怕……，也……；不但不/不但没有……，反而……；不是……，还/还是……；……，为的是……；没有……就没有……；不……不……；再……也…… |
Source: HSK 考试大纲, the grammar outline (语法大纲) for level 5, CLEC, November 2025. Headings that only classify (句类, 结构类型) are left out.
Are you at HSK 5? A 2-minute check
The three rows are words from HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6; each word sits at that level in both the old list and the HSK 3.0 syllabus. If you pass the HSK 5 row but not the one above, this is your level.
Tap every word you can read and understand
No guessing: skip any word you are unsure of. Pinyin and meanings appear once you ask for the result.
This is a rough estimate from a few dozen words, not a mock exam. Use the speaker buttons to hear each word and check the ones you tapped.
Who needs HSK 5?
- Applicants to scholarships and Chinese-taught degrees in the humanities, business and the social sciences: many universities ask for HSK 5, some with a minimum score. Take the figure from that year's admission notice of the university you apply to.
- People who work in Chinese every day: interpreters, assistants, anyone dealing with Chinese partners. At HSK 5 vocabulary stops being the main obstacle.
- Anyone heading for HSK 6 or the HSK 7–9 paper: HSK 5 is where reading speed and the long writing task start to decide the score, which makes it a good rehearsal for the levels above.
Score validity, how to read results and the other levels are in the overview HSK levels explained. Neighbouring levels: HSK 3, HSK 4.
How long from HSK 4 to HSK 5?
The measurable part is 1,600 new words and 150 new characters to handwrite. At a steady pace, the word list alone takes:
| Per day | Days | About |
|---|---|---|
| 10 words | 160 | 23 weeks |
| 15 words | 107 | 15 weeks |
| 20 words | 80 | 11 weeks |
Add review time (a word learned today needs to come back at least three times within the month), listening practice at exam speed and handwriting for 150 characters, and six to nine months is realistic for someone studying 30 to 45 minutes a day around a job. Learners who already read characters move faster; learners from a non-tonal language usually spend the extra time on listening and tones.
To drill the level's words through games and have your tones scored as you read, see Myra's games.
Booking HSK 5
Registration runs through one official site, chinesetest.cn, which lists the test centres and sessions of every country. Fees are set per country: in Vietnam, for example, HSK 5 with its speaking test costs 70 USD in the 2026 notices of two centres; in Europe and North America expect a higher figure.
- Sessions until November 2026 use the six-level format and its word list (2,500 words for HSK 5). The last global sittings are on October 17 and November 7, 2026.
- From December 13, 2026, every sitting is HSK 3.0: the 3,600-word list on this page, the 72-item paper and the level's own speaking test. Registration for the first sitting closes on November 16 (paper) and December 3 (computer).
- Results are valid for two years from the test date; the paper certificate reaches the centre about 45 days after the sitting.
What changes with the new format, and whether to test before or after the switch, is in HSK 3.0: what changes and who it affects.
Key takeaways
- HSK 3.0: 3,600 words in total, 1,600 of them new at level 5; 1,527 characters to recognise, 550 to write.
- The HSK 3.0 paper: 35 listening, 35 reading and 2 writing items in 110 minutes. Speaking is a separate test: 5 items, about 23 minutes.
- Six-level format (until November 2026): 2,500 words, 100 items, 125 minutes, no pass mark stated on the official site.
- No pass mark for HSK 3.0 had been published as of October 5, 2026.
- The 1,600 new words, with audio and meanings, are on the HSK 5 vocabulary page.
Common questions
How many words do you need for HSK 5?
It depends on the paper. The six-level format, sat until November 2026, lists 2,500 words. The HSK 3.0 syllabus, in force from December 13, 2026, lists 3,600 words counted from level 1, which is 1,600 new words on top of HSK 4. Many sites still quote the 2021 Standards figure (4,316); that is not the exam's number.
How long does it take to get from HSK 4 to HSK 5?
The core of the work is 1,600 new words and 150 new characters to write. At 15 words a day the vocabulary alone takes about 15 weeks; with listening and handwriting practice on top, six to nine months is realistic for someone studying around a job.
What can you do at HSK 5?
The official HSK 3.0 description for level 5 is: “Accurate, appropriate exchanges at work and in academic study.” (能用中文就工作、学业场景进行准确、恰当交流。). There is no official equivalence to CEFR or IELTS; the “HSK 5 = C1” table that circulates comes from a 2010 document and was rejected by European Chinese-teaching associations the same year.
What is the pass mark for HSK 5?
Six-level format: the official page gives a 300-point scale and no pass line for HSK 5; the 180 many sites quote is from an old candidate handbook. For HSK 3.0, no pass mark had been published as of October 5, 2026.
Is there a speaking test at HSK 5?
Under the six-level format, speaking is the separate HSKK test (HSKK Advanced is the one paired with HSK 5); whether you must sit it depends on the test centre. From December 13, 2026, HSK 3.0 has a speaking test built into each level from 3 to 6: at level 5 it is 5 items in about 23 minutes.
Sources
- CLEC (中外语言交流合作中心), 《HSK 考试大纲》 (Syllabus for the Chinese Proficiency Test), November 2025: word, character and handwriting lists per level, paper structure, grammar outline. The PDF linked from chinesetest.cn/HSK.
- chinesetest.cn, the page for this level in the six-level format: paper structure, timing, scoring. Read on October 5, 2026.
- CTI (汉考国际), “HSK 3.0 will be officially launched worldwide on December 13, 2026”, September 8, 2026, chinesetest.cn/news/51336883.
- CLEC, HSK 3.0 sample papers and the competency descriptions (HSK3.0 考试能力描述), November 2025.
- Word list: the vocabulary appendix of the 2025 syllabus, read through the transcription by hsk-tutor.com (uranbekanarbaev/hsk-3.0-vocabulary-dataset) and checked entry by entry against the syllabus PDF on October 14, 2026.
- Meanings and example sentences: Myra's word database; entries the database lacked were written by the Myra team and are marked for review.