HSK practice
Full-length practice tests in the new HSK format for levels 1–6, and short drills for words, tones and writing. All questions are written by WordSwing to match CTI’s official sample papers; none are copied from real tests. Everything is free and works without an account.
Full practice tests
Each test has the same parts, question counts and section times as the official sample paper for its level, with recorded audio for the listening section. HSK 3–6 include the separate speaking test, which you can record and play back.
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HSK 1 practice test
40 questions · about 32 minutes · pinyin shown
HSK 1 is the first level of the new HSK.
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HSK 2 practice test
60 questions · about 52 minutes · pinyin shown
HSK 2 adds a short writing section to listening and reading.
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HSK 3 practice test
70 questions · about 73 minutes · speaking test with 15 questions
HSK 3 is where pinyin disappears from the paper and a separate speaking test begins.
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HSK 4 practice test
70 questions · about 75 minutes · speaking test with 5 questions
HSK 4 starts the intermediate stage.
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HSK 5 practice test
72 questions · about 100 minutes · speaking test with 5 questions
HSK 5 uses longer listening, cloze passages, paragraph ordering and long reading texts.
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HSK 6 practice test
82 questions · about 115 minutes · speaking test with 5 questions
HSK 6 is the top of the intermediate stage.
Drills and tools
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Vocabulary quiz
Rounds of 10–40 words from any level’s word list: meaning, characters, pinyin or listening. Missed words are saved.
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Tone practice
Hear an HSK 1–4 word and pick its tones. Single syllables and all two-syllable tone pairs.
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Writing practice
Prompts for the HSK 3–6 writing tasks, with a character counter, a timer and sample answers.
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Grammar quizzes
Every grammar point for HSK 1–6 ends with a short fill-in quiz, with explanations.
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Character writing
Stroke-order animations and a tracing quiz for every character you need to handwrite.
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Your mistake list
Everything you got wrong on these tests and quizzes, with answers and explanations.
Not sure which level to start with?
The placement test takes about ten minutes and suggests a level to aim for.
How to use the practice tests
Each test has two modes. Practice mode lets you check each answer as you go and read the explanation straight away; use it while you are still learning the question types. Exam mode runs the sections with the official time limits and shows your score only at the end; use it in the last few weeks before the real test.
- Take the test for your target level in practice mode early on, to see what each part asks.
- Study for a few weeks, using the word list and grammar points for the level.
- Take it again in exam mode, in one sitting, at the time of day your real test starts.
- Go through your mistake list and fix the causes before trying again.
What your score means
The tests show the percentage you got right in each section. CTI has not yet published pass marks for the new HSK, so we do not convert your result into an official-style score. As a rough guide, if you get about 70% or more in every section in exam mode, the real test at that level should feel manageable. A section well below the others is where to spend your study time.
Audio and speed
The listening recordings are generated with text-to-speech in standard Mandarin, using different voices for the people in each dialogue. HSK 1–2 recordings are a little slower than normal speech, as on the official sample papers, and HSK 5–6 are at natural speed. In exam mode you can play each recording at most twice, so get used to catching the key detail the first time.
When the new format starts
The new HSK (3.0) is used from the 13 December 2026 test session onwards. If you are taking a test before then, it will be in the old HSK 2.0 format; see HSK 2.0 for how that test is laid out and HSK 3.0 for what changed.