HSK Exam Guide What is the HSK? Who runs it, what it measures and where the official information lives
The HSK is an international standardized test of Chinese language proficiency. Chinese Testing International (CTI) organizes it, according to the HSK page on the Chinese Tests Service Website, chinesetest.cn. This site is an unofficial guide. It is not the official site and it is not run by CTI.
What the HSK measures
The HSK page calls the test the Chinese Proficiency Test (中文水平考试), or HSK. It describes the test as an international standardized test. It assesses how well learners can use Chinese as a second language in daily, academic and professional life. The test uses one grading and scoring system.
The page also describes the new HSK. It says the new HSK upgrades the current six-level system to a "Three Stages, Nine Levels" framework. This framework covers elementary, intermediate and advanced proficiency. The page says the new HSK is guided by the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education.
According to the page, the new HSK assesses five language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation (at advanced levels). The page also says the new HSK changes question types, number of questions, test duration and listening speed.
The new HSK test syllabus covers five components: tasks, topics, vocabulary, grammar, and Chinese characters (认读字 is not used on the page; the page says "Chinese characters"). The page says the syllabus sets out the communication goals that learners are expected to reach.
What HSK scores are used for
The HSK page lists these uses of HSK scores:
- college enrollment, level learning, course exemption, and course credits
- employee recruiting, training, and advancement
- evaluation of the quality of teaching at colleges, schools, and other educational institutions
- raising Chinese language learners' self-evaluation
The page also says HSK scores have become a requirement for international students who apply for admission, graduation, and scholarships in China. It says a high HSK score can help foreigners who want to work in China show their proficiency to employers and government officials. It adds that a high score can help their chances of obtaining a working visa.
Where the official information is
The HSK page links to the New HSK Test Syllabus. This is a Chinese-language PDF of 406 pages. Its cover line names the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (中外语言交流合作中心) as the body that issued it. The cover says it was issued in November 2025 and put into effect in July 2026.
The About Us page of CTI gives these figures:
| Figure | Label on the page |
|---|---|
| 169 | Countries |
| 1,522 | Test centers |
| 800,000 | Test takers (each year) |
| 60,000+ | Certified staff |
The text on the same page says CTI has set up 1,522 test centers in 169 countries and serves more than 8.2 million test-takers. The two test-taker figures are shown here as the page gives them.
This site is not the official HSK site. It is not affiliated with Chinese Testing International, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation or any university. It takes no registrations and shows no results. For the official information, use the pages listed below.
Sources
- HSK page, Chinese Tests Service Website, published by Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- About Us, Chinese Tests Service Website, published by Chinese Testing International (CTI)
- HSK 考试大纲 / Syllabus for the Chinese Proficiency Test (PDF), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (中外语言交流合作中心)
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.