The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK; ), translated as the Chinese Proficiency Test, is the People's Republic of China's standardized test of proficiency in the Standard Chinese language for non-native speakers. The test is administered by the National Chinese Proficiency Test Committee, an agency of the Ministry of Education of China.
The test cannot be taken in Taiwan, where only Taiwan's TOCFL exam can be taken. In turn, the TOCFL exam is not available in Mainland China.
Development of the HSK test began in 1984 at Beijing Language and Culture University, and was officially made a national standardized test in 1992. By 2005, over 120 countries had participated as regular host sites and the tests had been taken around 100 million times, including domestic ethnic minority candidates. In 2011, Beijing International Chinese College became the first HSK testing center to conduct the HSK test online.
The HSK test is analogous to the English TOEFL, and an HSK certificate is valid without any limitation in China. The test aims to be a certificate of language proficiency for higher educational and professional purposes. It is not uncommon to refer to a standard or level of proficiency by the HSK level number, or score. For example, a job description might ask for foreign applicants with "HSK5 or better."
The HSK is administered solely in Mandarin and in simplified Chinese characters; however, if the exam is paper-based, the test-taker can choose to write the writing assignments in simplified or in traditional characters, at their discretion. The test can be either paper-based or Internet-based, depending on what the specific test center offers. With an Internet-based test, the writing part with characters (from HSK 3 on) is subjectively slightly easier, as one types the pinyin and selects the right character from the list, while with a paper-based test, one must remember the characters, their strokes and their order, and write them out.
Test takers with outstanding results can win a scholarship for short-term language study in China.
As of October 2025, the official HSK website has been updated to reflect the new structure with 9 levels in total. According to the website's test date announcements, exams for levels 7 to 9 have been administered starting May 18th, 2024.
In 2020, an internal Chinese academic paper discussed that the Chinese Proficiency Standards would undergo a change: a hybrid paradigm of "Three Stages and Nine Levels" characterized by all-in-one integration. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China announced further details regarding HSK 3.0 on April 1, 2021. Among the information shared was a wordlist for each individual stage, and a date for the introduction of the new testâÂÂJuly 1, 2021. As of April 2022 no HSK 3.0 tests had been rolled out and only a single preparation book for the basic levels had been published, and the HSK 2.0 test format was still in use. An update on the official HSK website suggests that April 2021 only signified the start date for conception of the new HSK 3.0. New grammar practice materials for the intermediate and advanced levels published by the Beijing Language and Culture University Press were released in September and December 2022.
The new test is meant to follow the latest research in the field of language studies and testing. The basic levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR A1/A2) should test from 500 to 2245 words, the intermediate levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR B1/B2) from 3245 to 5456 words, the advanced levels (roughly corresponding to CEFR C1/C2) from about 6000 to 11000 words.
HSK 3.0 now also includes a focus on handwritten Chinese characters and translation, which was not included in HSK 2.0. Also there is a redistribution of words in each level. For instance, some words were previously grouped under Level 3, but are now under Level 1 in HSK 3.0.
The previous format was introduced in 2010, with a philosophy of testing "comprehensive language and communication ability". Most notable are the inclusion of written segments at all levels (not just in the Advanced levels as in the pre-2010 test), a reform of the ranking system, and the use of new question structures. Complete vocabulary lists, previous tests, and simulated tests are available as preparation materials. A minor update of the vocabulary lists was made in 2012.
The HSK consists of a written test and an oral test, which are taken separately. This oral test is also known as the HSKK or .
The Listening, Reading and Writing tests each have a maximum score of 100. HSK 1 and 2 therefore have a maximum score of 200 with 120 points required to pass. HSK 3 and 4 have a maximum of 300 points with 180 points required to pass. There is no minimum number of points required for each of the sections as long as the sum is over 120 or 180 points respectively.
HSK 5 and 6 also have a maximum of 300 points and originally required a score of 180 points to pass. However, since a decision made in February 2013, there has been no official passing score for either HSK 5 or 6.
Hanban provides examples of the exam for the different levels together with a list of words that need to be known for each level. These examples are also available (together with the audio for the Listening Test) on the websites of the Confucius Institute at QUT and HSK Academy.
The written version is now available in two forms, a computer and a paper based test. Both tests are still held at test centers, the differences between the two are as follows:
The HSKK test is a separate test. However, the three HSKK levels correspond with the six HSK levels of the written test.
In 2010, Hanban asserted that the HSK's six levels corresponded to the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). However, the German and French associations of Chinese language teachers reject this equivalency, arguing that HSK Level 6 is only equivalent to CEFR Level B2 or C1.
Formerly, there were 11 possible ranks (1-11) and 3 test formats (Basic, Elementary/Intermediate, and Advanced). A rank of between 3 and 8 was needed to enroll in a Chinese university, depending on the subject being studied. A score of 9 or higher was a common business standard.
A student taking the Basic test (HSK) could attain a rank of 1 through 3 (1-3), or fail to meet requirements and thus not receive a rank. The Elementary/Intermediate test (HSK) covered ranks 3-8 (3-8), with ranks below 3 not considered. Likewise, the Advanced test (HSK) covered ranks 9-11 (9-11), with scores below 9 not considered.
The previous format for both Basic and Elementary/Intermediate HSK included four sections: listening comprehension, grammar structures, reading comprehension, and written expressions. Aside from the written expressions portion (which requires writing of Chinese characters), these two tests were completely multiple-choice. The Advanced HSK however, added an additional two portions: spoken and written.
The HSK is held at designated test centers in China and abroad. A list of test centers can be found at the HSK website. Test dates are published annually and written tests are more frequently held than spoken ones, generally around once a month, depending on the test center. Test registration is usually open until 30 days prior to the actual test date for the paper-based test or around 10 days prior the actual test date for the computer-based test. Results are generally available around 30 days after completion (but no definite date is given for results).
The test cannot be taken in Taiwan (The Republic of China). In Taiwan, only the TOCFL exam can be taken. Conversely, the TOCFL can not be taken in Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong.