HSK Scoring: Pass Marks, Score Ranges & HSK 3.0 Changes

In the classic six-level HSK format, every section is scored out of 100 points, and your section scores add up to one total. Levels 1 and 2 have two sections, so the total is 200 and the pass mark is 120. Levels 3 to 6 have three sections, so the total is 300 and the pass mark is 180. Either way, the pass mark is 60 percent of the total. The official level introductions state the pass rule on the total score: they set no separate pass mark for each section, so a weaker section can be offset by a stronger one. The HSK format guide covers the sections, question counts and timing behind these numbers.

Score ranges and pass marks by level

Two consequences follow from the total-based rule. First, there is no partial certificate: 179 at HSK 4 is a fail, not a lower level, because each level is its own exam with its own pass mark. Second, your preparation should be planned against the total. A candidate who is strong in listening and reading can afford a below-average writing score, as long as the three sections still sum to 180.

What the score report shows

The official score report lists each section score and the total: three results at Levels 1 and 2 (listening, reading, total) and four at Levels 3 to 6 (listening, reading, writing, total). Speaking never appears on it, because in the classic format speaking is the separate HSKK test, which reports its own score out of 100 with a pass mark of 60 at each of its Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels. Used as a Chinese language certificate for entry into Chinese colleges, HSK results are valid for two years from the test date.

How Solvi scores your mock

Solvi's HSK 4 mock covers listening and reading only, and it scores each of those sections out of 100, exactly as the real exam scales them. Your mock total is therefore out of 200, not 300, and it is a practice score, not an official pass or fail: the real HSK 4 result also includes a writing score. As a rough benchmark only, averaging 60 or more across the two practiced sections is the pace that a 180 total requires across three sections. Take the timed HSK 4 mock (H41001) to see your two section scores.

HSK 2.0 vs HSK 3.0: what changed

The format scored above is the classic six-level system, often called HSK 2.0. Its replacement, HSK 3.0, is built on a new standard rather than a revision of the old papers: the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (standard GF0025-2021), issued by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission on 24 March 2021 and in force from 1 July 2021. The differences that matter:

The Standards also redescribe every level with four yardsticks (syllables, characters, vocabulary and grammar) instead of a word count alone, which is why the vocabulary totals are not comparable line by line: the nine-level lists reassign words between levels as well as adding new ones. The advanced band is the largest single change, accounting for more than half of the 11,092 words on its own.

Rollout status: which scoring applies to you

The 2021 Standards set the framework first; the exams followed in stages. The combined Levels 7 to 9 exam was the first new test to be sat, with sittings running from 2022. For Levels 1 to 6, Chinese Testing International has published a revised examination syllabus for all nine levels (published November 2025, marked for implementation in July 2026) on chinesetest.cn, and test centres are switching their sittings over during 2026. Until your centre switches, a sitting is a 2.0 sitting and the 120 and 180 pass marks above decide the result.

One limit of this guide, stated plainly: the official material reviewed for it does not publish a pass mark table for the new 3.0 exams at Levels 1 to 6, so this guide does not give one. The Grading Standards define what each level means; the pass and score rules for a 3.0 sitting are published with that exam by Chinese Testing International. If you are registering for a 3.0 sitting, check the score rules on chinesetest.cn for your test date rather than relying on the 2.0 numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What score do you need to pass HSK 4?

180 or above out of 300, summed across listening, reading and writing (100 each). The pass rule is on the total.

Is there a minimum score per section?

The official level introductions define passing by the total only (120 at Levels 1 and 2, 180 at Levels 3 to 6) and set no per-section minimum, so sections can compensate for each other.

How long is an HSK score valid?

For entry into Chinese colleges, two years from the test date.

Do the 2.0 pass marks apply to HSK 3.0 sittings?

Do not assume so. The official material reviewed for this guide publishes no 3.0 pass mark table for Levels 1 to 6; check the rules published for your sitting on chinesetest.cn.

Sources

All score ranges, pass marks and validity facts on this page come from Chinese Testing International's official HSK level introductions and test bulletin (the results certificate table and passing rule printed for each of Levels I to VI), as published on chinesetest.cn and reproduced by Confucius Institute test centres. The HSK 3.0 facts come from the Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021), issued 24 March 2021 and in force from 1 July 2021, and from the revised HSK examination syllabus and test centre listings linked from chinesetest.cn.