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WordSwing HSK Practice and prep

New HSK (3.0) · study plan

HSK 6 in 48 weeks

HSK 6 adds 1,800 words, for 5,400 in total. Listening asks which statement matches long recordings, reading has word and sentence gap fills plus long texts, and writing is a practical text of at least 150 characters and an argument essay of at least 300.

At this level, progress comes mostly from reading and listening to real Chinese. The plan runs for about a year and treats the word list as support for that, not the main activity.

Start from
HSK 5 passed or comfortable, and reading Chinese most days.
Time
about 90 minutes, 6 days a week (about 432 hours in total)
New words
1,800 (5,400 in total up to HSK 6), about 50 a week
Grammar points
15, one or two a week

Weeks 1–4

Real material

Find texts and audio you will keep up with for a year.

  • Find two or three regular sources: a news site, a magazine, a podcast. Check them in the text level checker.
  • Take the HSK 5 practice test in exam mode to confirm your base.
  • Start a vocabulary notebook of phrases from your reading, not only single words.

Weeks 5–40

New words, grammar and real reading

The 1,800 new HSK 6 words and the HSK 6 grammar points.

  • Learn the week’s new words, preferably the ones you also meet in your reading.
  • Study the week’s grammar points; at this level many are formal written forms, so look for them in news and essays.
  • Read 30 minutes a day, including one longer piece of opinion or analysis a week.
  • Listen to 20 minutes a day of real Chinese: news, interviews, talks.
  • Write one practical text or argument essay a fortnight, and compare it with the sample answers.
Weekly words and grammar, Weeks 5–40
WeekNew wordsGrammar points
5 50 Review earlier points
6 50 Review earlier points
7 50 要么…要么…
8 50 Review earlier points
9 50 凡是…都…
10 50 Review earlier points
11 50 Review earlier points
12 50 除非…才… / 除非…否则…
13 50 Review earlier points
14 50 就算…也…
15 50 Review earlier points
16 50 不料 / 至于
17 50 Review earlier points
18 50 Review earlier points
19 50 所 / 为…所…
20 50 Review earlier points
21 50 于
22 50 Review earlier points
23 50 Review earlier points
24 50 干脆 / 总算 / 明明 / 倒是
25 50 Review earlier points
26 50 未必
27 50 Review earlier points
28 50 一向 / 依旧 / 一时 / 一再
29 50 Review earlier points
30 50 Review earlier points
31 50 不禁 / 特意 / 赶忙 / 偷偷
32 50 Review earlier points
33 50 —化 / —性 / —式 / —型
34 50 Review earlier points
35 50 Review earlier points
36 50 人家
37 50 Review earlier points
38 50 透了 / 好(不)容易
39 50 Review earlier points
40 50 X归X / 算了 / 到…为止

Weeks 41–44

Timed sections and speaking

Long texts at test speed.

  • Do each section of the HSK 6 practice test timed.
  • Practise the speaking tasks: retell, describe, argue. Record and listen back for structure.
  • Write an argument essay in 30 minutes.

Weeks 45–48

Full practice and review

Test conditions.

  • Take the full HSK 6 practice test in exam mode.
  • Review your mistakes and essays. Fix structure first, then vocabulary.
  • Keep your reading habit going through test week.

What you will use

If you fall behind

  • At HSK 6, an extra two or three months is normal. Move the test date rather than cutting reading.
  • If the word list feels endless, focus on the words you meet in your own reading first; the rest can wait.

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