HSK Exam Guide HSK test day: what to bring and the rules in the test room
Bring your admission ticket and an original, valid photo ID that matches the information you gave at registration. Copies of the ID are not accepted. If you take the paper-based test, you also bring two or more 2B pencils and an eraser. Phones, watches and other electronic devices must be turned off and stored away, and you may not leave the test room during the test unless the rule for using the restroom applies.
What to bring and what not to bring
The table below combines the Test Day section with the Chinese Test Preparation Checklist, both on the CTI test regulations page.
| Item | Rule on the page |
|---|---|
| Admission ticket | Bring it. The Test Day section lists it as a required item. |
| Original valid ID with a photo | Bring it. It must match your registration information. Copies are not accepted. |
| 2B pencils (two or more) and an eraser | Bring them for the paper-based test. |
| Paper or pencils | Not permitted for the computer-based test. |
| Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, watches | Turn them off and store them away. The checklist lists mobile phones, watches and laptops as prohibited. |
| Backpacks, MP3 players, timers | Prohibited, according to the checklist. |
| Any electronic device that can record audio, images or video | Prohibited, according to the checklist. |
| Food and water | Prohibited, according to the checklist. |
| Essential medications | Permitted with invigilator approval. |
| Hearing aids and other medical devices | Permitted only if you apply to the test centre in advance and provide medical diagnosis documents. Otherwise they are not permitted in the test room. |
The Test Day section says that all other items must be kept in the area the invigilator designates and may not be carried on the person.
If a prohibited item is found in the test room, the candidate is disqualified, the results are invalidated, and the candidate is not eligible for rescheduling, withdrawal or refunds. This is stated in item 5 of the Test Guidelines.
If you cannot show the required ID and admission ticket when you enter, you will not be allowed to take the test. You will not be eligible for rescheduling, withdrawal or refunds. This is stated in item 5 of the Test Day section.
If your passport is being renewed or reissued by the Entry-Exit Administration Bureau or another authority, the Test Day section says you should bring both the receipt issued by that authority and a copy of the original passport. It says both documents are required.
Medication, medical devices and headphones
Item 7 of the Test Guidelines says that candidates who need a medical device, such as a hearing aid, to enter the test room must contact the test centre in advance and submit an application with medical diagnosis documents. Otherwise, the device is not permitted in the test room.
Item 7 also says that a candidate who brings medication into the test room should have the invigilator check it for abnormalities. The candidate then places it on the main test desk for safekeeping.
Item 8 of the Test Guidelines says to remove your headphones after the listening test.
Item 10 says candidates must wear headphones throughout the entire speaking test, and that the voice must be clear. Item 11 says that if you have a problem during the test, you raise your hand to signal.
Leaving the room during a test
The Rules for Leaving the Test Room During the Test section says candidates are not permitted to leave the test room during the test. It also says there are no breaks during the test.
If you need the restroom, the same section says you must get permission from the chief examiner. Before you leave, you hand your admission ticket and ID card to the invigilator. When you return, the invigilator checks your identity and runs a security check again. Your admission ticket and ID card are then given back to you. The section says the time lost is not compensated.
Item 9 of the Test Guidelines says candidates may not leave the test room during the speaking test. If they do, their test results are invalidated. No rescheduling or refunds are allowed.
For questions the page does not answer, such as rules that may differ at a particular centre, ask the test centre directly.
Sources
- Exams information for candidates (test regulations), 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.