Old vs. New HSK Comparison

TLDR;

• China's official Chinese proficiency exam, the HSK, is changing to more accurately measure ability and to better align with international standards like the CEFR (Common European Framework).
• The updated exams are likely to cover more vocabulary, more grammar, and possibly more skills.
• If you are currently studying to take the "old" exams, keep going. The current HSK levels 1-6 probably won't change before 2024, and the "new" levels 7-9 probably won't be released until March of 2022.
• Jump straight to the "New" HSK Vocabulary Lists.

All the "New" HSK exam analyses and word lists that you see on the Internet (including this one!) are based on the recently-updated 'Chinese Proficiency Standards', which guide but do not define the requirements for the HSK exams. When official updates to the HSK requirements are published, we will update this article accordingly.

Read this Full Guide on the "New" HSK to Learn:

Why the HSK is Changing

1. To increase the difficulty to align it with internationally accepted language proficiency frameworks, like the CEFR (Common European Framework).
   The "Old" exam was often criticized for maxing out at an intermediate level.
2. To increase the accuracy in assessing one's Chinese language ability.
3. To modernize by retiring outdated words and phrases and by including new HSK vocabulary.

Change #1: New HSK Exam Structure

The most obvious change is the addition of three new levels: 7, 8, and 9:

The new Level 7-9 exams are not just more granular testing; they are substantially more difficult.

On the "Old" HSK, Level 6 was considered "advanced". On the "New" HSK, Level 6 is considered "intermediate":

Of course, these are just labels. Chinese is not getting harder; rather, the criteria by which each proficiency title is applied are changing.

If you've passed HSK 6, your skills won't decrease simply because your level is now categorized differently.

Change #2: New HSK Vocabulary Requirements

You may have seen charts similar to this:

Charts like this can be misleading. While they do evaluate the total number of Chinese words you need to know, they ignore which words are found in each level.

Which is important, because it doesn't matter if you know 5,000 words if they aren't the words you will be tested on!

We've analyzed each Level from the new Chinese standards and compared them with the existing "Old" HSK exam. Pay attention to removals and additions:

Roughly speaking, about 10% of the HSK vocabulary (from the "old" exams) has been removed from Levels 1-4. In Level 5, about 15% was removed.

At HSK 6, a whopping 42% of the words were removed (2,076)!

If you thought you'd "only" have to learn 396 new words to go from the "old" HSK 6 to the "new" HSK 6, you're in for a surprise: you actually need to learn 2,472 new words!

Change #3: New HSK Grammar Requirements

The New Standards document lists all the grammar requirements per level. Our team is at work analyzing this vs. the previous exams, and will update this section when we have more to share.

Looking at the number of patterns per level, it's safe to say each Level of the new exam will include more grammar patterns than were tested before.

Unlike with vocabulary, the new grammar patterns are unlikely to be "new" (not seen on the test before), but simply shifts from later levels to earlier levels.

Change #4: Will Handwriting be Tested?

The "New" Chinese Proficiency Standards list various forms of handwriting ability at every Level. If the HSK exams adopt these requirements, it will be even bigger news than the greatly expanded vocabulary requirements, as it will mean students not only need to recognize words, but know how to write them from memory.

We have some doubts that handwriting skill (as described in the standards document) will be tested on the New HSK exam. More on that below.

First, let's see what the standards say:

• In Levels 1-3, "character-copying" is listed. Our interpretation of what this could look like is: see Chinese characters on the page/screen, and then reproduce them with a pen.
• In Levels 4-9, the word for "copying" is omitted, so we assume it means these Levels will test handwriting from memory instead.

Emphasis is given on understanding stroke order and character construction, and there are speeds listed for how quickly you should be able to write:

Change #5: Other Requirements of the New HSK

Some online guides show charts of new character and even syllable requirements. We don't think these requirements are that important to focus on, as they are dominated by the vocabulary requirements. From our practical experience, by the time you know the vocabulary, you'll have learned these meta components anyway.

Put another way, given that the "New" Exam is attempting to more accurately measure language competency, we are confident that words (not individual characters or syllables) will be tested; not the meta components you'll learn along the way.

When will the New HSK Changes Take Effect?

The dates below are our best estimates. We will update this as new information becomes available.

Until the "New" HSK Levels are given, you will still be able to register for the "Old" Exams, and the certificates you receive for passing will still be valid at institutions that require them (jobs, universities).

How Should You Practice for the New HSK Today?

If you are just getting started with Mandarin, don't worry about the New HSK exams yet. Following the current HSK lists, or any textbook series that your tutors recommend, or the outstanding curriculums from LTL Mandarin School and ExcelMandarin, or apps like Domino Chinese, will all be worthwhile.

If you planned to take the HSK Level 1-4 exam in the next 24 months, stick to your current plan. The New HSK Exam Levels most likely won't be given until 2024, so you should feel confident sticking with your current study methods, resources, and goals.

If you're an intermediate/advanced student who plans to take HSK Exam Levels 5-9 in the future, start adding the New HSK vocabulary to your study plans. We have all the New HSK Level lists on Hack Chinese, so you can add those now and be ready when the exams can be taken.

Key Takeaways

• Achieving a credential by taking the HSK examination can be an awesome motivator. But the real goal for most people is learning to communicate in Chinese, and Chinese isn't changing. Your favorite learning resources will work just as well tomorrow as they did yesterday.
• If you haven't yet passed the current HSK Level 6, then your study materials and exams aren't changing for years. Keep on learning the way you are now.
• Vocabulary is the "largest" component (by volume) of both the "Old" and "New" HSK exams. Make sure you have a solid strategy for learning Chinese vocabulary.
• If you have a Hack Chinese account, you can see exactly what percentage of the vocabulary from the New HSK exams you already know by viewing the "New" Exam Lists.