HSK 漢語水平考試

HSK 2: requirements, vocabulary and CEFR level

Manage simple routine conversations on familiar daily topics and write short simple sentences.

The short answer

HSK 2 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.

500Words

371Characters to read

100Characters to write

60Minutes

CEFR (approx.)

A1–A2

How official is that?

approximate (no official mapping; disputed)

Old HSK 2021 word count

1272

Sections

Listening, reading, writing (about 60 items); 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: Five hundred words: enough to order food, not yet enough to complain about it.

How it compares

HSK 2 ≈ 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.

HSK 2 ≈ CEFR A2approximate (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-1//tests/hsk/level-3//tests/hsk/study-plan//tests/hsk-to-cefr/