Unofficial guide
HSK Exam Guide

HSK 7–9 and postgraduate study: what the official description says

Sources checked

No, postgraduate students in China are not required to take HSK 7–9 by the official description. The HSK (Levels 7-9) page names international students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in China among the people the levels are intended for, but that sentence describes intended takers and is not an admission rule.

What the HSK 7–9 page says about who it is for

The HSK (Levels 7-9) page states that HSK (Levels 7-9) are advanced proficiency levels intended for learners of Chinese as a second language. It includes among them international students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in China, students majoring in Chinese in different countries, and professionals involved in academic research, economic, cultural, and technological exchanges conducted in Chinese.

The sentence on the 7-9 page describes intended takers. It is not an admission rule.

What the Chinese Government Scholarship guide asks

Section IV of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship lists language requirements for Chinese-taught programmes in rows 8 to 10. These rows name Level 3 and Level 4 and do not name HSK 7-9.

Programme HSK requirement (Chinese-taught)
General scholar program (excluding Chinese language majors) HSK (Level 3)
Senior scholar program HSK (Level 3)
Master's or doctoral program HSK (Level 4)

Row 10 requires that an applicant have passed HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program. Row 11 adds that, when applying for a program taught in a language other than Chinese, an applicant must meet the admission requirements of the university of preference in terms of language proficiency and academic ability, among others.

What the 2018 Ministry standard says

The '语言能力' section of the Ministry of Education's 2018 quality standard sets graduation Chinese levels in terms of the International Chinese Language Proficiency Standards (《国际汉语能力标准》). For programmes taught in Chinese, graduation Chinese ability should reach level 五级. For programmes taught in a foreign language, master's and doctoral students' Chinese ability should at least reach level 三级.

The '语言能力' section of the 2018 standard does not mention the HSK test, an HSK level, or an HSK score.

2026 HSK 7–9 test dates

The 2026 HSK (Levels 7-9) calendar lists two iBT at-center test dates. On 9 May 2026 (a Saturday), the test was held; the registration deadline was 25 April and results were released on 9 June. The next test is on 22 November 2026 (a Sunday); the registration deadline is 8 November and results are released on 22 December.

Test date Format Registration deadline Result date
9 May 2026 (Sat) iBT at-center 25 April 2026 9 June 2026
22 November 2026 (Sun) iBT at-center 8 November 2026 22 December 2026

Questions people ask

Do master's and doctoral students in China need HSK 7–9?

The official description does not require it. The sentence on the HSK (Levels 7-9) page describes intended takers and is not an admission rule, and rows 8 to 10 of Section IV of the Chinese Government Scholarship guide name Level 3 and Level 4 and do not name HSK 7-9. Row 10 requires HSK (Level 4) for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program.

Does the 2018 Ministry standard require an HSK level for postgraduate study?

The '语言能力' section of the 2018 standard sets graduation Chinese levels in terms of the International Chinese Language Proficiency Standards. For master's and doctoral students in foreign-language-taught programmes, it sets level 三级 of those Standards. That section does not mention the HSK test, an HSK level, or an HSK score.

Sources

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.

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