HSK Exam Guide HSK registration step by step on chinesetest.cn
You register for the HSK on the Chinese Test Service Website at chinesetest.cn. The official regulations list seven steps in order. This page is an unofficial summary. It does not take registrations, so you must register on chinesetest.cn itself.
The seven steps in order
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Sign up as a user of the Chinese Test Service Website. If it is your first time on the site, you will see the CTI Registration Agreement and a Guide to Privacy Protection for Chinese Test Candidates. Click "I have read and agree" to accept them. Each email address can sign up for only one account.
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Select the test type, test date and test center. Click "Book a Test". Then choose the test type, test level, test format and test date, and select the test center. If you leave or disconnect without paying, pay the test fee as soon as possible after pre-registration. The regulations give this reason: otherwise you may be unable to pay and complete the registration once the test seats are full.
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Fill in your personal information, verify it, and upload a photo. Follow the instructions on the screen. Verify your mobile phone number at this step. The photo rules are not repeated here, so read them in step 3 of the regulations. Test centers reserve the right to refuse admission if the photo fails verification or the candidate cannot be identified.
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Fill in your mailing information. This step applies only to candidates registering at test centers in other parts of China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions). Candidates registering at test centers in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan regions of China or overseas are not required to fill in mailing information.
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Confirm the information and submit it. Check that the information is correct. Read the "Notes on Chinese Test Registration" and "A Guide to Privacy Protection for Chinese Test Candidates". Then tick "I have read and agree". You cannot continue if you do not tick this box.
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Pay the test fee, or contact the test center to pay it and complete the registration. The payment method depends on where the test center is. The table in the next section sets this out.
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Get your admission ticket. This is covered in the last section below.
The regulations say: "Only after completing steps 1 to 6 will the candidate's registration be officially valid."
Mailing information and payment by test center location
The regulations give different rules for test centers in other parts of China and for centers in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan regions of China or overseas.
| Test center location | Mailing information (step 4) | Payment (step 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Other parts of China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions) | Required | Online by quick payment, online banking, QR code payment, or JCB/VISA/Master card. You are redirected to the payment platform. |
| Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan regions of China or overseas | Not required | On-site at the test center, or by the method the test center specifies |
For test centers in other parts of China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions), the regulations say that no application for withdrawal, refund, or adjustment of exam type, level, format or test center will be accepted once the registration is confirmed and the fee is paid.
The text of step 6 does not state a fee amount. Check the fee on the Chinese Test Service Website.
The admission ticket
You can log in to the Chinese Test Service Website 5-7 days before the test. Print your admission ticket in "My Account". If you have a problem printing it, contact the test center. The test center may also ask you to collect the ticket. You must bring a physical admission ticket on the test day.
Check the ticket after you print or collect it. The name, gender, date of birth and ID number on the ticket must match the valid ID you used when registering. If the ticket has an error, contact the test center to have it corrected before the test. Without a matching ticket, you will not be allowed to take the test.
The ID rules are not covered in this article, so read the regulations for the details.
Sources
- Exams information for candidates (test regulations), Chinese Testing International (CTI), Chinese Test Service Website chinesetest.cn
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.