Old vs new HSK word lists
If you studied with an HSK 2.0 textbook, app or Anki deck, most of your words still count. This page shows where every old word sits in the new HSK and which new words you need to add for each level.
How many words to add for each level
The new lists are larger at every level. If you know the old list up to a level, this is how much of the new list up to the same level you already have.
| Level | New list (total) | Already on your old list | Words to add | Old words now at a later level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 1 | 300 | 143 | 157 | 4 |
| HSK 2 | 497 | 271 | 226 | 17 |
| HSK 3 | 988 | 550 | 438 | 25 |
| HSK 4 | 1,978 | 1,095 | 883 | 65 |
| HSK 5 | 3,557 | 2,051 | 1,506 | 381 |
| HSK 6 | 5,334 | 3,156 | 2,178 | 1,648 |
Words are matched by their characters, so a word counts as known if the same characters were on the old list. Totals here count each distinct word once, so they can be a few lower than the official numbered entries, where a word with two meanings can appear twice.
Find your words
Pick the old level you studied to. “Words to add” is your study list for the new test at the same level.
Where every old word went
Each row is an old HSK level. Each column is the word’s level in the new syllabus. For example, of the 2,500 words new at old HSK 6, 1,525 are now at levels 7–9.
| Old level ↓ / new level → | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7–9 | Not listed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old HSK 1 | 143 | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 150 |
| Old HSK 2 | 55 | 70 | 13 | – | 3 | – | – | 6 | 147 |
| Old HSK 3 | 6 | 34 | 226 | 20 | – | 1 | – | 11 | 298 |
| Old HSK 4 | 3 | 5 | 54 | 463 | 53 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 598 |
| Old HSK 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 113 | 770 | 252 | 121 | 28 | 1,300 |
| Old HSK 6 | – | – | – | 13 | 155 | 679 | 1,525 | 128 | 2,500 |
What this means for your study
- Your old words still count. Almost every word from the old lists is in the new syllabus, so nothing you learned is wasted.
- Each new level asks for more. The new HSK 1 has twice as many words as the old one, and the gap grows at higher levels. Use “Words to add” as a checklist rather than starting again.
- Many old HSK 5 and 6 words moved to 7–9. If you are aiming for the new HSK 6, you can leave those for later.
- Your old textbook is still useful for grammar and reading practice. Fill in the missing words from the new list and practise with new-format tests.
Related
Sources
- HSK 考试大纲 (HSK Test Syllabus), released November 2025 — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). Checked 2026-10-20.