HSK Exam Guide HSK characters by level: characters to recognise and characters to write
Each HSK level has its own list of characters to recognise (认读字). The syllabus lists characters to write (书写字) in groups of levels. By our count from the numbered lists, the recognition lists run from 125 characters at Level 2 to 1,148 for Levels 7–9 together, and the writing lists run from 100 to 500 characters.
The two kinds of character list
The Chinese character syllabus (HSK 汉字大纲) starts on page 352 of the syllabus PDF. It has two kinds of list.
- 认读字 (characters to recognise) is one list for each level. Levels 7–9 share one list.
- 书写字 (characters to write) is listed for groups of levels. The syllabus lists Levels 1 and 2 together, then Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 separately, then Levels 7–9.
The syllabus is printed in Chinese. The English names above are our translation.
Characters to recognise, by level
The table gives the printed start page of each recognition list and the number of characters we counted in it.
| List | Printed start page | Characters (our count) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (一级认读字) | 353 | 246 |
| Level 2 (二级认读字) | 355 | 125 |
| Level 3 (三级认读字) | 356 | 284 |
| Level 4 (四级认读字) | 358 | 441 |
| Level 5 (五级认读字) | 361 | 431 |
| Level 6 (六级认读字) | 364 | 413 |
| Levels 7–9 (七—九级认读字) | 367 | 1,148 |
Each recognition list is numbered from 1. The lists are per level, not cumulative. A Level 3 list is not a running total that includes Levels 1 and 2. We have not added the lists together.
Characters to write, by list
The writing lists are printed in one section, which starts on page 374.
| List | Characters (our count) |
|---|---|
| Levels 1–2 (一级~二级书写字, one joint list) | 100 |
| Level 3 (三级书写字) | 150 |
| Level 4 (四级书写字) | 150 |
| Level 5 (五级书写字) | 150 |
| Level 6 (六级书写字) | 150 |
| Levels 7–9 (七—九级书写字) | 500 |
Each writing list is numbered from 1. Levels 1 and 2 have one joint writing list, so the 100 characters in that row cover both levels.
How the figures were made
The syllabus is dated on its cover as issued in November 2025 and in force from July 2026.
The counts in this article are our own. We counted the serial numbers in each list in the syllabus PDF. They are not totals printed by the syllabus. Check the numbered lists in the official PDF if you need the exact figures for a document or a report.
Sources
- HSK 考试大纲 / Syllabus for the Chinese Proficiency Test (PDF, Chinese) — Center for Language Education and Cooperation (中外语言交流合作中心)
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.