Intermediate

HSK 4 exam format

How long the HSK 4 exam takes, what each section contains, and what every task type asks you to do. The structure and timing below are the same ones used to assemble the practice papers on this site.

HSK 3.0 · about 85 minutes in total, of which 75 are timed sections · 70 questions · Listening, Reading and Writing · pass mark 180 of 300

Compared with HSK 3, the prescribed vocabulary more than doubles, from 1,000 words to 3,245, the CEFR band moves from A2 to B1. On the paper itself, sentence gap-fill and short composition appear for the first time, picture matching, sentence matching and write the character drop out, the writing minimum rises from 200 characters to 300.

These figures are the HSK 3.0 format, set by the official standard GF0025-2021. Earlier HSK 2.0 papers were structured and timed differently, so figures published for those will not match.

1 free mock

What to expect, section by section

Every HSK 4 paper here is assembled to the official HSK 3.0 blueprint: the same sections in the same order, the same task types, the same clock. Open a section below to see every task inside it, so nothing on exam day comes as a surprise.

The full written paper is 70 questions across 3 sections, about 75 minutes, scored out of 300. The pass line is 180 of 300.

听力 · Listening32 items · ~20 min · 100 pts · audio ×1

Audio drives this whole section: in exam mode each clip plays exactly once, and it never pauses, rewinds or shows a transcript. Practice mode lifts the cap so you can replay freely. The questions are printed, so you read as you listen.

Part 1: Multiple choiceItems 1-14 · 14 questions

A brief exchange between two speakers, around one or two turns each, then a single question with four options labelled A to D. Every clip in this part carries exactly one question.

Click the letter of the correct option.

Marked automatically against the answer key when your paper is scored, at no cost.

Tip: One question per clip means one detail matters. Read the options while the audio loads and you will know what to listen for.

Part 2: Multiple choiceItems 15-32 · 18 questions

One voice talking for several sentences with no second speaker. Most clips here carry two questions rather than one, and both are printed before the audio starts.

Click the letter for each question. Questions sharing a clip are scored separately.

Marked automatically against the answer key when your paper is scored, at no cost.

Tip: Two questions on one clip means two things to hold at once. Note the first answer the moment you hear it rather than waiting for the clip to end.

阅读 · Reading32 items · ~30 min · 100 pts

No audio here: printed passages, sentences and options against the section clock. The clock is the real opponent, so pacing matters more in Reading than anywhere else on the paper.

Part 1: Fill the blanks from a word list (选词填空)Items 33-42 · 10 questions

A shared bank of five words labelled A to E, and sentences with one blank each. The bank runs across the whole part.

Click the letter of the word that belongs in the blank.

Marked automatically against the answer key when your paper is scored, at no cost.

Tip: Collocation decides most of these. Ask which word normally goes with the verb or noun beside the blank, not which one means roughly the right thing.

Part 2: Multiple choiceItems 43-57 · 15 questions

A short printed passage of a few sentences, with four options labelled A to D. Passages here often carry two questions.

Click the letter. Each question is scored on its own.

Marked automatically against the answer key when your paper is scored, at no cost.

Tip: The wrong options at this level are usually true sentences the passage never actually makes. Being true is not the test.

Part 3: Sentence gap-fillItems 58-64 · 7 questions

A continuous passage with numbered gaps, and a set of complete sentences labelled A onward. Each gap takes exactly one of them.

Choose the letter that belongs in each gap.

Marked automatically against the answer key when your paper is scored, at no cost.

Tip: Read the sentence after the gap as well as the one before it. Connectors and pronouns on the far side usually decide the answer.

写作 · Writing6 items · ~25 min · 100 pts

Everything in this section is produced rather than chosen: characters, sentences or compositions, typed in Chinese. If your device has no Chinese input method, the app's built-in pinyin keyboard is available inside the exam.

Part 1: Write a sentence (写句子)Items 65-69 · 5 questions

One word per item, and the task of writing a complete, natural sentence that uses it correctly.

Type your sentence in Chinese.

Tip: Use the word in its ordinary sense. An unusual use is harder to get right and earns nothing extra.

Part 2: Short composition (写作)Items 70 · 1 question

A single topic to write on, usually your view on something ordinary or an experience of your own. The minimum length in characters is printed with the task.

Type your composition. The counter under the box tracks the minimum as you write.

Tip: Answer the topic in your first sentence, then support it. At this length there is no room to warm up.

口语 · Speaking (spoken)5 items · ~7 min · 100 pts

The speaking paper (口语, spoken Chinese) is its own sitting, separate from the written exam, and is part of the With Speaking plan.

The speaking paper is its own sitting, separate from the written exam. Every turn is spoken aloud into your microphone, recorded once and timed per turn like the real oral test. There is no typed fallback: speaking means speaking.

Part 1: Listen and retell (听后复述)Items 1-2 · 2 questions · ~40s per turn

A short audio passage. When it ends, you retell the content in your own words.

Speak within the response time, keeping every key fact.

Marked by the AI examiner when your paper is graded: a band, the specific errors, and a corrected version. These are the points a plan unlocks, and your first free paper gets them once with a confirmed email. Spoken answers also carry a pronunciation score from the speech engine, folded into the mark at a fixed weight.

Tip: Retell in the same order the passage used. Inventing a new structure under time pressure is how details get lost.

Part 2: Describe the picture (看图说话)Items 3 · 1 question · ~120s per turn

One photo, or a picture story of several panels in order. You describe what is happening.

Speak within the response time. When there are several panels, cover them in order so the story stays intact.

Tip: Name the people, the place and the action first. Add detail only once the whole story has been told.

Part 3: Answer the question (回答问题)Items 4-5 · 2 questions · ~120s per turn

A printed question, answered aloud in Chinese.

Speak your answer within the response time.

Tip: A direct answer plus one reason is a complete answer. Long lists of reasons trail off under the clock.

HSK 4 questions, answered

How long is the HSK 4 exam?

The HSK 4 exam is about 85 minutes long under the HSK 3.0 format, of which 75 minutes are timed sections. The difference is the time the standard sets aside for filling in your details and your answer sheet. Figures published for the older HSK 2.0 paper are different and will not match.

What is on the HSK 4 exam?

The HSK 4 written paper has 3 sections: Listening, Reading and Writing. Between them they ask 70 questions worth 300 points in total. Every section is timed separately and the listening audio plays once.

What score do you need to pass HSK 4?

You need 180 out of 300 to pass HSK 4, which is 60%. The HSK compensates across sections, so a weak section can be carried by a strong one as long as the total clears the line.

How many words do you need for HSK 4?

HSK 4 prescribes 3,245 words. That is the vocabulary the HSK 3.0 standard sets for this level, and the paper is written within it.

How much do you have to write for HSK 4?

The official standard expects no less than 300 Chinese characters, in a limited time. It asks for simple narratives and expositions, plus common practical writing formats, judged on basically correct vocabulary, comparatively diverse sentence patterns, basically complete content and relatively clear expression, with basically correct format. That is GF0025-2021, the standard the exam is built against.

Is HSK 4 hard?

HSK 4 sits at B1 on the CEFR scale. The honest answer is that difficulty is relative to where you are, which is what a timed mock exam is for: it measures you against the 180-point line rather than guessing.

See real HSK 4 questions

Free HSK 4 practice questions with the answer to each one, section by section. No account needed.

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