What is in an HSK 3.0 exam paper: sections, timing and question counts
Every HSK 3.0 paper from Level 2 to Level 6 has the same three sections — 听力 listening, 阅读 reading and 书写 writing — each marked out of 100. What changes between levels is how many questions each section holds, how they are grouped into parts, and how long you get.
How long is each HSK exam, and how many questions?
| Level | Questions | Minutes | Questions per section | Audio played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 2 | 60 | 60 | 听力 25 · 阅读 25 · 书写 10 | twice |
| HSK 3 | 70 | 85 | 听力 30 · 阅读 30 · 书写 10 | twice |
| HSK 4 | 70 | 85 | 听力 32 · 阅读 32 · 书写 6 | once |
| HSK 5 | 72 | 110 | 听力 35 · 阅读 35 · 书写 2 | once |
| HSK 6 | 82 | 125 | 听力 40 · 阅读 40 · 书写 2 | once |
HSK 2 is the shortest paper at 60 minutes and HSK 6 the longest at 125. Every level is marked out of 300, 100 for each section, so a question at Level 6 is worth fewer marks than one at Level 2 simply because there are more of them.
Is there a writing section at HSK 2 and HSK 3?
Yes. All five levels have a 书写 section worth 100 marks. Under HSK 2.0 the lower levels had no writing paper at all; under HSK 3.0 every level has one. The count falls as the pieces get longer: HSK 2 and 3 write ten questions, HSK 4 six, HSK 5 and 6 two. The lower levels write characters and short sentences; Levels 5 and 6 write two longer pieces.
Is the audio played once or twice?
HSK 2 and HSK 3 play each listening item twice. HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6 play it once.
Does the paper print pinyin?
HSK 2 prints pinyin above the characters. No level above that does.
The shape of each level, section by section
A "part" is a block of questions with one instruction and one answer format — the thing a paper calls 第一部分.
HSK 2
60 questions in 60 minutes, marked out of 300. The recording is played twice, and the paper prints pinyin above the characters.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Parts | Questions per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听力 Listening | 25 | 100 | 3 | 5 + 10 + 10 |
| 阅读 Reading | 25 | 100 | 4 | 5 + 5 + 10 + 5 |
| 书写 Writing | 10 | 100 | 2 | 5 + 5 |
20 mock papers at this level in the app.
HSK 3
70 questions in 85 minutes, marked out of 300. The recording is played twice.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Parts | Questions per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听力 Listening | 30 | 100 | 3 | 10 + 10 + 10 |
| 阅读 Reading | 30 | 100 | 3 | 10 + 10 + 10 |
| 书写 Writing | 10 | 100 | 2 | 5 + 5 |
20 mock papers at this level in the app.
HSK 4
70 questions in 85 minutes, marked out of 300. The recording is played once.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Parts | Questions per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听力 Listening | 32 | 100 | 2 | 14 + 18 |
| 阅读 Reading | 32 | 100 | 3 | 10 + 15 + 7 |
| 书写 Writing | 6 | 100 | 2 | 5 + 1 |
20 mock papers at this level in the app.
HSK 5
72 questions in 110 minutes, marked out of 300. The recording is played once.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Parts | Questions per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听力 Listening | 35 | 100 | 2 | 19 + 16 |
| 阅读 Reading | 35 | 100 | 3 | 10 + 10 + 15 |
| 书写 Writing | 2 | 100 | 2 | 1 + 1 |
20 mock papers at this level in the app.
HSK 6
82 questions in 125 minutes, marked out of 300. The recording is played once.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Parts | Questions per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听力 Listening | 40 | 100 | 3 | 8 + 20 + 12 |
| 阅读 Reading | 40 | 100 | 3 | 10 + 10 + 20 |
| 书写 Writing | 2 | 100 | 2 | 1 + 1 |
20 mock papers at this level in the app.
Is there a pass mark?
No official source publishes a pass mark for HSK 3.0. The shapes above match the official 样卷 for Levels 2 to 6, checked in September 2026: sections, parts, question ranges and minutes.
Practising a whole paper
The app holds 100 mock papers, 20 at each level, each one timed by section with an explanation on every question. A paper can be sat whole, or one section at a time as a drill. Every paper, with a sample question from each level.