HSK Exam Guide Why HSK 5 and HSK 6 show no pass mark, and how schools use the score
No, the official level pages for HSK 5 and HSK 6 do not name a pass mark. The score report section on each page gives a full score of 300. The HSK 4 page names 180 as a passing mark, but that figure is on the Level 4 page only. A 2025 scholarship guideline from CLEC sets minimum scores for Levels 5 and 6, and those minimums are not pass marks.
What the level pages say
The three level pages use different wording about the score. Here is the score sentence from each page.
| Page | Score wording in the score report section |
|---|---|
| HSK (Level 5) | "Achieving a full score entails earning 300 points." The section names no pass mark. |
| HSK (Level 6) | "Achieving a full score entails earning 300 points." The section names no pass mark. |
| HSK (Level 4) | "Achieving a full score entails earning 300 points, while a cumulative score of 180 or above qualifies as a passing mark." |
All three pages say that the HSK scores are valid for two years, starting from the exam date.
What the 2025 scholarship guideline says
The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 is published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). It gives a minimum score for two categories. The document says the programmes commence in September 2025.
For the master's category, the text says:
"Applicants shall have a minimum score of 210 on the HSK Test (Level 5) and 60 on the HSKK test (Intermediate Level)."
For the doctoral category, the text says:
"Applicants shall have a minimum score of 200 on the HSK Test (Level 6) and 60 on the HSKK test (Advanced Level)."
These are minimum scores set by this guideline. They do not appear on the HSK 5 or HSK 6 level pages.
What the Chinese Government Scholarship guide says
The Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship is published by the China Scholarship Council (Campus China). Its eligibility section names HSK levels in three rows, and it gives no score in any of them:
- Row 8: "have passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught general scholar program (excluding Chinese language majors);"
- Row 9: "have passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught senior scholar program;"
- Row 10: "have passed the HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program;"
So the two official documents word the requirement differently. The CLEC guideline gives a score for Levels 5 and 6. The Campus China guide names a level only, in the rows above.
This page cannot say how a particular university or programme applies these requirements. For questions about a specific programme, ask the programme or the university that runs it.
Sources
- HSK (Level 5). Chinese Testing International (CTI), Chinese Tests Service Website chinesetest.cn.
- HSK (Level 6). Chinese Testing International (CTI), Chinese Tests Service Website chinesetest.cn.
- HSK (Level 4). Chinese Testing International (CTI), Chinese Tests Service Website chinesetest.cn.
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025. Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), chinese.cn.
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship. China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org).
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by Chinese Testing International, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation or the Ministry of Education, and the official page prevails if they differ.