HSK Exam Guide HSK and HSKK: two tests, and when you need both
HSK and HSKK are two separate tests. HSK tests Chinese as a second language, and its Level 4 score report shows four scores: Listening, Reading, Writing and Total. HSKK is the speaking test, which the official page calls the HSK Speaking Test, and it is conducted as an audio recording. One official document asks for both, the 2025 scholarship guidelines quoted below. This article does not show whether universities in general ask for both tests.
What HSK is and what a Level 4 report shows
The official HSK page describes HSK as an international standardized test for Chinese language proficiency, organized by CTI Co., Ltd. (CTI). It says HSK assesses how learners use Chinese as a second language in their daily, academic and professional lives.
The HSK (Level 4) page says the score report provides four scores: Listening, Reading, Writing and Total. The same page says that achieving a full score entails earning 300 points, and that a cumulative score of 180 or above qualifies as a passing mark.
What HSKK is and its 100-point scale
The overview page for the speaking test is titled "HSK Speaking Test". It says the test assesses the test takers' oral Chinese abilities. It says the test has three levels, including elementary, intermediate and advanced, and that it is conducted in the form of an audio recording. The overview passage does not give a score scale.
The HSK Speaking (Intermediate) page says that achieving a full score entails earning 100 points, and that a cumulative score of 60 or above qualifies as a passing mark. The same page says the HSK Speaking scores are valid for two years, starting from the test date.
When one 2025 guideline asks for both
The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), sets minimum scores by category and programme. Every programme in it starts in September 2025, which is before the check date of 11 October 2026. The thresholds below are the ones printed in this 2025 edition. This article does not show thresholds from any later edition.
| Category | Programme | HSK minimum | HSKK minimum | Other conditions named in the guideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Scholarship for Bachelor's Degree | International Chinese Language Education | HSK Test (Level 4): 210 | HSKK test (Intermediate Level): 60 | Senior high school diploma; scholarship provided for a maximum of four academic years |
| 2. Scholarship for Master's Degree | International Chinese Language Education | HSK Test (Level 5): 210 | HSKK test (Intermediate Level): 60 | Bachelor's degree; a maximum of two academic years; priority will be given to applicants who may provide an employment contract with a teaching institution upon completing their studies in China or proof to the same effect |
| 4. Scholarship for One-Year Study Program | International Chinese language education programs | HSK test (Level 3): 270 | An HSKK test score is required; the row names no HSKK level or minimum | A maximum of eleven months |
| 4. Scholarship for One-Year Study Program | Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy | HSK test (Level 4): 180 | HSKK test (Intermediate Level): 60 | A maximum of eleven months |
| 4. Scholarship for One-Year Study Program | Chinese language study programs | HSK test (Level 3): 210 | No minimum named; priority will be given to applicants who provide an HSKK test score | A maximum of eleven months |
The bachelor's and master's rows ask for both tests, each with its own minimum. In the one-year rows, the international Chinese language education row requires an HSKK score, and the Chinese language and literature, history and philosophy row sets minimums for both. The Chinese language study row gives priority to applicants who provide an HSKK score. It does not say the score is required.
These are the rows in this guideline only. They do not show how universities or other programmes treat the two tests.
Sources
- HSK page of the Chinese Tests Service Website. Chinese Testing International (CTI), chinesetest.cn
- HSK (Level 4) page. Chinese Testing International (CTI), chinesetest.cn
- HSK Speaking Test page. Chinese Testing International (CTI), chinesetest.cn
- HSK Speaking (Intermediate) page. Chinese Testing International (CTI), chinesetest.cn
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025. Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), chinese.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.