HSK Exam Guide HSK pass marks by level: 120, 180, and the levels with no pass line
Levels 1 and 2 have a pass mark of 120 out of 200. Levels 3 and 4 have a pass mark of 180 out of 300. The Level 5 and Level 6 pages give a full score of 300 but name no pass mark, and the Levels 7 to 9 page reports a level result instead of a pass mark.
| Test | Scores on the report | Full score | Pass mark (as the page states it) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK Level 1 | Listening, Reading, Total | 200 | 120 |
| HSK Level 2 | Listening, Reading, Total | 200 | 120 |
| HSK Level 3 | Listening, Reading, Writing, Total | 300 | 180 |
| HSK Level 4 | Listening, Reading, Writing, Total | 300 | 180 |
| HSK Level 5 | Listening, Reading, Writing, Total | 300 | Not stated on the page |
| HSK Level 6 | Listening, Reading, Writing, Total | 300 | Not stated on the page |
| HSK Levels 7-9 | Listening, Reading, Writing, Translation, Speaking, and a level result | Not given on the page | Level result instead of a pass mark |
| HSK Speaking (Elementary) | Score | 100 | 60 |
| HSK Speaking (Intermediate) | Score | 100 | 60 |
| HSK Speaking (Advanced) | Score | 100 | 60 |
Levels 1 to 6
The Level 1 page says that "a cumulative score of 120 or above qualifies as a passing mark." The Level 2 page gives the same 120 mark on a 200-point full score.
The Level 3 and Level 4 pages give a full score of 300 and a pass mark of 180. Each page says that a cumulative score of 180 or above qualifies as a passing mark.
The score sentence on the Level 5 page names no pass mark. The score sentence on the Level 6 page also names no pass mark. Both pages give 300 as the full score. For a pass mark for these two levels, ask the test centre.
Levels 7 to 9
According to the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021), test takers are classified into one of four results: "Below HSK (Level 7)", "HSK (Level 7)", "HSK (Level 8)" and "HSK (Level 9)". The classification is based on ability values measured by Item Response Theory (IRT) and on the content and difficulty of the test items.
The Levels 7-9 page names no pass mark. Each skill has a report score from 0 to 100.
HSK Speaking
The three HSK Speaking tests use the same scale on their pages. Each page gives a full score of 100 and a pass mark of 60.
- The HSK Speaking (Elementary) page gives a full score of 100 and a pass mark of 60.
- The HSK Speaking (Intermediate) page gives a full score of 100 and a pass mark of 60.
- The HSK Speaking (Advanced) page gives a full score of 100 and a pass mark of 60.
Each page says that the scores are valid for two years, starting from the test date.
For the level list, see HSK levels. For score reports in general, see scores.
Sources
- HSK (Level 1) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK (Level 3) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK (Level 5) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK (Levels 7-9) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK Speaking (Elementary) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK Speaking (Advanced) page, Chinese Testing International (CTI)
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.