How to register for the HSK
You register for the HSK on CTI’s website, chinesetest.cn. It takes about 20 minutes if you have your passport and a suitable photo ready. Your registration only counts once you have paid.
Before you start
- Your passport or national ID card. Use the same document on the day.
- A JPG photo, 50–500 KB, taken in the last six months.
- A phone number for verification and an email you check.
- Your chosen level and date. If you are unsure of your level, take the placement test first.
Step by step
- 1
Create an account on chinesetest.cn
Sign up with an email address you check. Each email can hold only one account, and you log in with it every time, so use one you will keep. You agree to CTI’s registration terms and privacy guide when you sign up.
- 2
Choose the test, level, format, date and centre
Click “Book a Test”, then pick HSK, the level, the format (paper-based or computer-based) and the date. Only centres that offer that combination are shown. If you leave before paying, pay as soon as you can: seats can fill up.
- 3
Enter your details and verify your phone
Your name, date of birth and ID number must match the passport or ID card you will bring on the day exactly. If you register at a centre outside your own country, you must use a passport.
- 4
Upload a photo
A recent colour photo (taken in the last six months), without a hat or sunglasses, ideally on a white background. JPG, between 50 KB and 500 KB. CTI rejects casual photos, heavily edited photos and AI-altered photos.
- 5
Add a mailing address (mainland China only)
Only candidates at centres in mainland China fill this in. Everyone else skips this step.
- 6
Confirm and pay
Check everything, then submit. In mainland China you can pay online by card or QR code. Outside mainland China you pay at the centre or by the method it names. Your registration only counts once you have paid.
- 7
Print your admission ticket
The ticket appears in “My Account” 5–7 days before the test. Print it: you need the paper ticket on the day, and you will need its number to look up your result later.
Paper-based or computer-based?
Most centres offer both on the same dates. The questions are the same kind and the score report is the same. The differences are practical:
| Paper-based | Computer-based (at a centre) | |
|---|---|---|
| Writing answers | By hand; answers marked on an answer sheet in 2B pencil | Typed, usually with a pinyin keyboard |
| Registration closes | About 4 weeks before | About 10 days before |
| Results | About a month after | About two weeks after |
| Bring | Ticket, ID, two 2B pencils, eraser | Ticket and ID only |
Choose the computer-based test if you type Chinese faster than you write it, or need results quickly. Choose paper if you write characters well and prefer to see the whole paper at once. CTI’s online demo shows what the computer-based test looks like. Some regions also offer an at-home internet test; if it appears when you register, read your centre’s technical requirements carefully.
Fees
There is no single worldwide price. Each centre sets its fee in local currency, and the amount appears when you choose a centre on chinesetest.cn. Fees go up with the level. Some centres charge the speaking test separately, so check whether the price you see covers it.
After you register
- Check the confirmation email, and that your details match your ID exactly.
- Print the admission ticket when it appears, 5–7 days before the test.
- Read the test day checklist, especially the late-arrival rules.
- Do a full timed practice test in the format you booked.
Questions
When is the registration deadline? +
In 2026, registration for a paper-based test closed 27–28 days before the test, and for a computer-based test 10 days before. For the first new HSK on 13 December 2026, the deadlines are 16 November (paper) and 3 December (computer), 24:00 Beijing time. Your centre can close earlier if it fills up.
How much does the HSK cost? +
Each centre sets its own fee, in local currency, and chinesetest.cn shows it when you choose the centre. Fees rise with the level. In mainland China, centres have charged in the range of a few hundred yuan per written test.
Can I change my details after paying? +
Not yourself. Email kaoshi@chinesetest.cn with documents showing the correct details. If you find a mistake on the day, tell the test staff and bring proof. More than three days after the test, corrections are a paid service.
Can I register for two levels at once? +
Yes, you can register for more than one test. CTI notes that HSK 5 and HSK 6 currently cannot be booked on the same day.
Can I get a refund if I can’t go? +
Generally no. CTI’s rules say candidates who miss the test for their own reasons, or who are turned away for lacking valid ID, cannot reschedule, withdraw or get a refund. If the centre cannot run the test, CTI arranges a free retake or a refund.
Sources
- Exams information for candidates — Chinese Testing International (CTI). Checked 2026-10-20.
- HSK 3.0 will be officially launched worldwide on December 13, 2026! — Chinese Testing International (CTI). Checked 2026-10-20.
- Chinese Test Dates in 2026 — Chinese Testing International (CTI). Checked 2026-10-20.
- HSK 3.0 computer-based test demo — Chinese Testing International (CTI). Checked 2026-10-20.