HSK 漢語水平考試

HSK 1: requirements, vocabulary and CEFR level

Handle very simple everyday exchanges about yourself, numbers, time and shopping.

The short answer

HSK 1 is an elementary level in the nine-level HSK 3.0 standard. This page shows its vocabulary and character targets, test format, pass mark, estimated study hours and approximate CEFR equivalent.

300Words

246Characters to read

40Minutes

CEFR (approx.)

How official is that?

approximate (no official mapping; disputed)

Old HSK 2021 word count

500

Sections

Listening, reading (about 40 items); no writing, no speaking test

Notes

HSK 3.0, 2025 syllabus (effective Jul 2026; exams from 13 Dec 2026). Cumulative counts. Character count = characters to recognise; writing list separate.

Kungfucius says: Three hundred words and the confidence of someone who just learned 你好 (nǐ hǎo).

How it compares

HSK 1 ≈ CEFR A1approximate (no official mapping; disputed)CTI has published no official CEFR mapping for HSK 3.0; this is an approximate match based on HSK 3.0 cumulative vocabulary (2025 syllabus) and can-do descriptors compared with CEFR descriptors. The German Fachverband Chinesisch argued (about HSK 2.0) that HSK levels sit lower on the CEFR than CTI implied, so treat any mapping with care.

Keep reading

/tests/hsk/level-2//tests/hsk/study-plan//tests/hsk-to-cefr/