New HSK (3.0) · study plan
HSK 2 in 12 weeks
HSK 2 adds 200 words to HSK 1, bringing the total to 500, and a short writing section: choosing character parts and writing single missing characters. Pinyin is still printed on the paper.
The new skill at this level is handwriting. The HSK 1–2 writing list has 100 characters, and ten minutes a day of writing them by hand is enough.
- Start from
- HSK 1 words known well, by sound and by sight.
- Time
- about an hour, 6 days a week (about 72 hours in total)
- New words
- 200 (500 in total up to HSK 2), about 25 a week
- Grammar points
- 25, one or two a week
Week 1
Check your HSK 1
Find the gaps before adding more.
- Take the HSK 1 practice test in exam mode. Aim for 80% or more in both sections.
- Do two vocabulary quiz rounds at HSK 1 in listening mode and re-learn any misses.
- Start the HSK 1–2 handwriting characters: five a day, with stroke order.
Weeks 2–9
New words, grammar and handwriting
The 200 new HSK 2 words and the HSK 2 grammar points.
- Learn the week’s new words with audio, and say each one in a short sentence.
- Study the week’s grammar points and do each quiz.
- Write five characters from the writing list by hand each day, from memory.
- Read one HSK 2 story a week. Read it twice: with pinyin, then without.
| Week | New words | Grammar points |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 25 | 比 · 没有 · 得 |
| 3 | 25 | 的 / 得 / 地 · 过 · 着 |
| 4 | 25 | 来 / 去 · 出来 / 进去 / 回来… · 完 / 懂 / 错 / 好 / 会 |
| 5 | 25 | 还是 · 因为…所以… · 虽然…但是… |
| 6 | 25 | 是…的 · 别 / 不要 · 快要…了 / 要…了 |
| 7 | 25 | 已经…了 · 一…就… · 让 / 叫 / 请 |
| 8 | 25 | 就 · AA / A一A / AABB · 时量补语 |
| 9 | 25 | 从 / 到 / 往 / 离 · 次 · 每…都… · 几 / 多 |
Weeks 10–11
Practice test and the writing section
Character components and missing characters.
- Take the HSK 2 practice test in practice mode. Note which part costs you most.
- Learn the common character parts: 氵 water, 口 mouth, 木 tree, 女 woman, 扌 hand, 讠 speech.
- Work through your mistake list until it is empty.
Week 12
Test week
One timed run and rest.
- Take the practice test again in exam mode.
- Review the handwriting characters you got wrong.
- Check the exam-day page for what to bring.
What you will use
- HSK 2 word list: mark words as known as you go, and export to Anki if you use it.
- Vocabulary quiz for the week’s words, in reading and listening modes.
- HSK 2 grammar points, each with examples, audio and a quiz.
- HSK 2 stories (3) with audio and questions.
- Tone practice and the HSK 2 characters with stroke order.
- HSK 2 practice test in the new format, and your mistake list.
- The HSK 2 guide for the test format, topics and timings.
If you fall behind
- Handwriting is the easiest part to let slip. Keep it to ten minutes but don’t skip it: it is a scored section.
- If the new words are piling up, spend a week only reviewing. Fewer words known well beats more words half known.