How Many Characters Do You Need to Know for HSK Tests? (Counted by Levels)

静… 缓… 略… 嚷…

Do you know these characters yet? They’re some of the Chinese characters required by HSK. If you’re going to take the test, it’s time to memorize them!

If you don’t know yet, HSK stands for Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (汉语水平考试), meaning “Chinese Proficiency Test” in Chinese. It’s one of the most well-known and acknowledged tests for Mandarin Chinese proficiency around the world, with six levels of proficiency. HSK 6 is the hardest level, considered near-fluent. HSK 1 is the easiest level, covering the basic level of Chinese.

If you’re looking to test your skills and see where you’re at in Chinese, HSK is a great place to try it out. In this quick guide, we are going to look at the Chinese character requirements for various HSK levels and we’ll present a complete list of all the characters you need to know for each HSK level.

Let’s get started.

Chinese Character Requirement for HSK

So, how many Chinese characters should you learn to pass HSK tests?

Well, the requirement varies according to the level of the test. According to CLEC (formerly known as Hanban), the HSK test organizer, you need to know 150 to 2500 Chinese characters for taking HSK tests depending on the level.

Here’s the official guideline.

HSK 1: 150 characters (optional)
HSK 2: 300 characters (optional)
HSK 3: 600 characters
HSK 4: 1000 characters
HSK 5: 1500 characters
HSK 6: 2500 characters

Now, let’s take a look at the necessary characters for each of the six HSK levels.

Chinese Characters for HSK 1 and HSK 2

HSK 1 and HSK 2 tests are designed for basic Chinese learners. In these two tests, Pinyin is provided along with Chinese characters for all questions on the test paper, and there is no writing section, meaning you don’t necessarily need to be able to read the characters to pass the tests.

You do, however, need to be able to understand simple conversations from daily life, basic Chinese vocabulary words (150 for HSK 1, 300 for HSK 2), and basic grammar patterns to pass HSK 1 and HSK 2. (I recommend starting with ImproveMandarin Vocabulary Channel and Grammar Channel)

HSK 1 Character List – the 150 Basic Characters You Need for HSK 1

Even though you can count on Pinyin to pass HSK 1, it’s still a good idea to knock out the basic Chinese characters at an early stage. Characters help you memorize vocabulary better, read with ease (making learning through native resources easier), and have a deeper understanding of how the Chinese language works.

Here are the 150 characters that CLEC suggests learning at the HSK 1 level.

Characters 1-150 for HSK 1 (optional)

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HSK 2 Character List – the 300 Basic Characters You Need for HSK 2

At the HSK 2 level, you are expected to know 300 characters in total, and that’s 150 new characters on top of HSK 1.

Characters 151-300 for HSK 2 (optional)

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Again, Pinyin is provided along with characters on the HSK 2 test paper.

Chinese Characters for HSK 3 to HSK 6

From HSK 3 onwards, Pinyin will no longer be presented on the test paper. You have to be able to read Chinese characters to pass the tests.

HSK 3 Character List – the 600 Characters You Need to Know for HSK 3

HSK 3 starts to introduce more sophisticated knowledge of Chinese. At HSK 3, CLEC expects you to know 600 characters in total to pass. That’s 300 new characters on top of HSK 2.

Characters 301-600 for HSK 3

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HSK 4 Character List – the 1000 Characters You Need to Know for HSK 4

To pass HSK 4, you need to know 1000 characters in total. That means you need to know 400 additional characters on top of HSK 3.

Characters 601-1000 for HSK 4

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HSK 5 Character List – the 1500 Characters You Need to Know for HSK 5

HSK 5 is the second hardest test among all HSK tests. To pass HSK 5, you need to know 1500 characters in total, and that’s 500 more characters on top of HSK 4.

Characters 1001-1500 for HSK 5

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HSK 6 Character List – the 2500 Characters You Need to Know for HSK 6

HSK 6 is the last stretch of the HSK tests. It’s the highest level you can reach.

Naturally, you are expected to have a good mastery of Chinese characters to pass HSK 6, that is, 2500 characters in total (1000 news characters on top of HSK 5).

Characters 1501-2500 for HSK 6

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Note: previously learners needed to know 174 to 2663 Chinese characters for HSK level 1 to level 6 (this description is still on Wikipedia), however, that standard was outdated and revised by CLEC in 2014 (many characters were replaced or deleted in the current version).

How to Memorize Chinese Characters for HSK

Okay, so now you’ve seen the HSK character lists and know what you should study. But what’s the best way to memorize these characters?

Learning Chinese characters doesn’t always have to mean flashcards and Anki deck. Surrounding yourself and paying attention to the Chinese characters – put on Chinese subtitles when you watch movies, TV shows, or reading a Chinese magazine, novel, or even a comic book! The characters required for HSK are used so often that you’ll see them over and over again in the vocabulary you learn and the texts you read.

Learning Chinese characters happens over time, and you can’t really cram for it before the exam. It’s a good rule of thumb to set aside 20-30 minutes each day specifically for reading Chinese, five days a week – and I highly recommend that you do, because it will help you immensely down the road.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. To pass an HSK test, do I have to know all the characters required for that level?

Technically you don’t have to, since you won’t encounter all the characters required in one test, and you only need to score 120/200 (in HSK 1-2), or 180/300 (in HSK 3-6) to pass the test, meaning you can chance it. However, a good mastery of characters will gigantically increase your chance of passing the exam, so we suggest you learn the appropriate amount as guided by CLEC.

2. Do I need to know how to write these characters to pass the HSK?

You don’t have to physically write down every character if you take the computer-based HSK test. In the writing section, you can type the Pinyin and then select the characters shown on the screen. Though you still need to know which character to apply you cannot get the script of the character wrong this way. That said, practicing handwriting Chinese helps you memorize characters better. (Note not all test centers have facilities to conduct computer-based tests)

Planning to Take the HSK Test?

Now, if you are planning to take the HSK test, you should make the best out of our site – ImproveMandarin.Com, a fantastic reference resource to help you hone your test and general Chinese skills.

Here are some essential guides to help you get started:

Pro tip: if you’re seeking a structured study approach that yields guaranteed test results, invest in an HSK course! We’ve reviewed every HSK course out there on the internet. Some are fantastic while others are junk. Here are the best online HSK courses you can enroll in immediately in 2023.