A guided course
Which HSK am I sitting?
The HSK you may have heard of (“HSK 1–6”, 150 words at level 1) is the earlier standard. Its replacement — usually called HSK 3.0 or the 2021 standard — uses bigger vocabulary and character lists and reworked task formats.
Which HSK am I sitting?
As of 7 October 2026, the official announcement states that HSK 3.0 launches worldwide on 13 December 2026. Announcements and syllabus implementation dates are different things: always confirm with your test centre which version your booked session will use before you prepare for a specific format.
Read the official announcement (chinesetest.cn) ↗What this course does about it
- The learning sequence stays stable — sounds, words and grammar you need for real Chinese do not change with the exam format.
- Vocabulary decks come from the classic word lists and are labelled as such; the new-format inventory is being added as it is verified against the official lists. Nothing here claims full new-format coverage yet.
- Official sample material is kept separate from our own practice, with its source recorded. One known issue is held for human review: an HSK 2 official sample writing paper whose answer file uses shifted item numbers. It stays out of automatic scoring until it is resolved.
- Exam preparation pages always name the version they target, and no score conversion is offered unless the scoring method supports it.
Vocabulary crosswalk
The archived official syllabus contains these cumulative entry counts. Existing whole-level decks are legacy lists. Word-form overlap does not establish coverage of readings, senses, characters, or language use.
| Level | Official entries through level | Official word forms absent from legacy decks through level |
|---|---|---|
| HSK1 | 300 | 157 |
| HSK2 | 500 | 226 |
| HSK3 | 1000 | 438 |
| HSK4 | 2000 | 883 |
| HSK5 | 3600 | 1509 |
| HSK6 | 5400 | 2181 |
New teaching and practice are available across levels; completing these units is not a claim of full HSK 3.0 inventory coverage. Verify your exam’s requirements against the official syllabus.