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Short answer The new HSK (often called HSK 3.0) starts worldwide on 13 December 2026. Levels 1–6 now cover 300, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,600 and 5,400 words (cumulative), up from 150, 300, 600, 1,200, 2,500 and 5,000 in HSK 2.0. The word lists changed a lot: 2,230 of the 5,400 words were not in HSK 2.0 at all, and many familiar words moved to a different level.
When does the switch happen?
- November 2025: The Center for Language Education and Cooperation published the new HSK Syllabus. Its cover says it takes effect in July 2026.
- 31 January and 20 September 2026: pilot exams for levels 1–6 at selected test centres worldwide.
- 13 December 2026: official worldwide start of HSK 3.0, according to Chinese Testing International. Registration closes on 16 November 2026 for the paper-based test and on 3 December 2026 for the computer-based test (Beijing time).
- The last HSK 2.0 exam depends on your country. The HSK office in Korea lists 7 November 2026 as its last old-format exam. The HSK committee in Japan says all of its regular exams in 2026 still follow HSK 2.0 and has not yet announced when it switches.
Before you register, ask your test centre which version your exam date uses.
How many words per level?
| Level | HSK 2.0 (cumulative) | HSK 3.0 (cumulative) | New at this level in HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 150 | 300 | 300 |
| 2 | 300 | 500 | 200 |
| 3 | 600 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 4 | 1,200 | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| 5 | 2,500 | 3,600 | 1,600 |
| 6 | 5,000 | 5,400 | 1,800 |
Above level 6, HSK 3.0 has an advanced band, levels 7–9. The syllabus also lists characters and grammar points for every level.
Where the HSK 2.0 words went
We matched every one of the 5,400 entries in the official list against the HSK 2.0 lists. This table shows where the words of each new level come from:
| HSK 3.0 level | from HSK 2.0 level 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | new |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (300 words) | 146 | 60 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 83 |
| 2 (200 words) | 2 | 69 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 93 |
| 3 (500 words) | 0 | 7 | 230 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 208 |
| 4 (1,000 words) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 507 | 85 | 4 | 394 |
| 5 (1,600 words) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 859 | 127 | 596 |
| 6 (1,800 words) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 235 | 706 | 856 |
What stands out:
- Even the beginner levels are new. Of the 500 words in levels 1 and 2, only 277 were in HSK 2.0 levels 1 and 2. Level 1 alone adds 83 words that were never on an HSK list, such as 汉字, 大学生, 电影院 and 好看.
- Some words moved down. 饺子, 超市 and 面包 are now level 1.
- Old level 6 shrank. 1,830 HSK 2.0 words are no longer part of levels 1–6, 1,663 of them from the old level 6.
- A few readings changed. For example, the syllabus writes 学生 as xuéshēng, and at level 3, 干 is gàn (to do), not gān (dry).
What this means for you
- Your exam is after the switch: learn the HSK 3.0 list for your level. The words you already know still help: 3,170 of the 5,400 words were in HSK 2.0.
- You learned with HSK 2.0 so far: first fill the gaps at your level, then go up. Many "new" words are everyday words, so they are quick to learn.
- Your exam is still HSK 2.0: keep to the HSK 2.0 list until then, but expect your next level to follow the new lists.
How Hanzi By Heart handles HSK 3.0
Hanzi By Heart has all 5,400 words of HSK 3.0 levels 1–6. You learn every word three ways: reading, listening and writing, each on its own review schedule. If you studied with an earlier version, your progress carries over word by word. If you use the 新HSK教程 textbooks, you can filter levels 1–3 by lesson.
Questions and answers
When does HSK 3.0 start? Worldwide on 13 December 2026, according to Chinese Testing International. Some countries keep HSK 2.0 a little longer.
How many words does each HSK 3.0 level have? Counting the lower levels: level 1 has 300 words, level 2 has 500, level 3 1,000, level 4 2,000, level 5 3,600 and level 6 5,400.
Do my HSK 2.0 words still count? Most do: 3,170 of the 5,400 HSK 3.0 words were already in HSK 2.0, though often at a different level.
Can I still take HSK 2.0 in 2026? It depends on your country and test centre. In Japan, all regular 2026 exams stay HSK 2.0. In Korea, the last old-format exam is on 7 November 2026.
Sources
- Center for Language Education and Cooperation: HSK Syllabus (新版HSK考试大纲, vocabulary, characters, grammar; published November 2025, effective July 2026)
- Chinese Testing International: HSK 3.0 will be officially launched worldwide on 13 December 2026
- Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, 15 September 2026
- Shanghai government, registration for the HSK 3.0 pilot (22 December 2025)
- HSK office Korea, notice of 14 September 2026
- HSK committee Japan, notice of 2 October 2026
- Word-level comparison: our own matching of the official HSK 3.0 list (5,400 entries) against the HSK 2.0 lists.