New HSK (3.0) · study plan
HSK 5 in 40 weeks
HSK 5 adds 1,600 words, for 3,600 in total. The texts are long, the listening includes talks and interviews, and writing is two essays: a story from four pictures and a topic essay of at least 200 characters.
At this level, the amount you read decides your result more than anything else. This plan builds a daily reading habit over about nine months, alongside the words and grammar.
- Start from
- HSK 4 passed or comfortable, and some reading habit already.
- Time
- 60–90 minutes, 6 days a week (about 300 hours in total)
- New words
- 1,600 (3,600 in total up to HSK 5), about 54 a week
- Grammar points
- 17, one or two a week
Weeks 1–2
Set up a reading habit
Twenty minutes of reading a day, every day.
- Choose reading material at 95–98% coverage with the text level checker: HSK 5 stories, graded readers, learner news.
- Take the HSK 4 practice test in exam mode to check the foundations.
- Decide how you will learn words: a flashcard app, WordSwing or the word list exports.
Weeks 3–32
New words, grammar and reading
The 1,600 new HSK 5 words and the HSK 5 grammar points.
- Learn the week’s new words in phrases. Review old ones every day.
- Study the week’s grammar points; many are about linking ideas, so use them in your writing.
- Read 20–30 minutes a day. At least one text a week should be factual: science, society or culture.
- Listen to 15–20 minutes of longer audio a day: talks, interviews, podcasts for learners.
- Write one essay a fortnight from the writing practice page, alternating picture stories and topic essays.
| Week | New words | Grammar points |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 4 | 54 | 一旦…就… |
| 5 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 6 | 54 | 万一 / 假如 |
| 7 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 8 | 54 | 哪怕…也… |
| 9 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 10 | 54 | 不但不…反而… |
| 11 | 54 | 从而 / 可见 / 总之 |
| 12 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 13 | 54 | 毕竟 / 反正 / 简直 / 居然 |
| 14 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 15 | 54 | 似乎 / 仿佛 / 似的 |
| 16 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 17 | 54 | 曾经 / 始终 / 早已 / 即将 |
| 18 | 54 | 自从…以来 |
| 19 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 20 | 54 | 由 |
| 21 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 22 | 54 | A来A去 / 说A就A |
| 23 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 24 | 54 | 舍不得 / 来不及 / 用不着 / 不得了 |
| 25 | 54 | 下来 / 下去 / 起来 / 过来 |
| 26 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 27 | 54 | 为的是 / 以便 |
| 28 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 29 | 54 | 没有…就没有… / 不…不… / 再…也… |
| 30 | 54 | Review earlier points |
| 31 | 54 | 凭 / 据 / 依据 |
| 32 | 34 | 以及 / 并且 / 同时 |
Weeks 33–36
Timed sections and speaking
Reading speed under time pressure.
- Do the HSK 5 practice test reading section timed, twice, a week apart.
- Practise the speaking test: retell a recording, describe a picture, give an opinion. Record and listen back.
- Write both essay types in 40 minutes, as on the real test.
Weeks 37–40
Full practice and review
Test conditions.
- Take the full HSK 5 practice test in exam mode.
- Review mistakes by cause and fix the biggest one first.
- Keep reading daily up to the test. Stop new words a week before.
What you will use
- HSK 5 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 5 grammar points, each with examples, audio and a quiz.
- HSK 5 stories (3) with audio and questions.
- Writing practice with sample answers.
- HSK 5 practice test in the new format, and your mistake list.
- The HSK 5 guide for the test format, topics and timings.
If you fall behind
- Protect the reading time above all. Falling behind on words is easier to recover from than losing the reading habit.
- If writing is the weak spot, write shorter texts more often rather than long essays rarely.