Unofficial guide
HSK Exam Guide

Arriving late for the HSK: when you may still enter and when you may not

Sources checked

You must arrive at the test center 30 minutes before the exam start time indicated on your admission ticket. For a written HSK test, you may enter if you arrive after the start time but before the listening section ends (you enter only after listening ends, and missed time is not made up); you may not enter if you arrive after the reading section starts. For an HSK oral test, you may not enter if you arrive after the start time on your ticket.

Start times on the six level pages

The six HSK level pages each print a start time. The late-arrival rule refers to the time on your admission ticket, not the time on the level page.

Level Start time (all local times)
HSK 1 13:30
HSK 2 09:00
HSK 3 13:30
HSK 4 09:00
HSK 5 13:30
HSK 6 09:00

Written HSK tests: the two late cases

For HSK written exams, the Test Procedures give two cases:

  • If you arrive after the exam start time but before the end of the listening section, you may only enter the exam room after the listening section ends, and the missed time will not be compensated.
  • If you arrive after the start of the reading section, you will not be admitted.

HSK oral tests

For HSK oral exams, the Test Procedures state that candidates arriving after the exam start time (indicated on the admission ticket) will not be admitted.

When you arrive at the center

The Test Procedures list these steps after you reach the test center:

  1. Proceed to the waiting area; restrooms are accessible during this period.
  2. Store personal items (keep them safe to avoid loss).
  3. Complete identity verification and security check.
  4. Proceed to the assigned seat and wait for the exam under the invigilator's guidance; candidates have no right to choose their seats.

Questions people ask

What if I arrive after the reading section has started for a written test?

The Test Procedures state that candidates arriving after the start of the reading section will not be admitted.

Does the late-arrival rule use the level page time or my admission ticket time?

The Test Procedures state the exam start time indicated on the admission ticket for the late-arrival rule. The six level pages each show a start time, but the rule refers to the time on your admission ticket.

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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