Scoring Guide

HSK 4 Scoring Guide

How scores are calculated, what they mean, and how to reach your goal score.

Scoring Overview

HSK 4: 300 points total (100 per section). Pass: 180 points overall with at least a passing contribution from each section. Scores valid for life. Certificate can be used for university applications in China.

Score Scale

Section	Duration	Max Score
Reading	40 min	100
Writing	25 min	100
Listening	30 min	100

Section Breakdown

listening

Listening — 45 questions, ~30 minutes.

Dialogues (short and extended)MonologuesIdentifying true/false statementsMultiple choice comprehension

reading

Reading — 40 questions, 40 minutes.

Fill in the blanksSentence ordering (re-arrange)Passage comprehension with multiple choice

writing

Writing — 15 questions, 25 minutes.

Fill in blanks with provided wordsWrite a sentence from given words (ordering)Guided writing (HSK 5/6 level)

Key Facts

Levels: HSK 1–6 (old) / HSK 1–9 (new 3.0)
HSK 4 questions: 100 (listening + reading + writing)
Duration: 105 minutes (HSK 4)
Passing score: 180/300 (60%)
Cost: ~$50–$80 USD
Valid: Lifetime (no expiry)

Study Tips

1.Master the official HSK vocabulary lists — HSK 4 requires ~1,200 words total (cumulative).
2.Use Anki with the HSK deck — spaced repetition is the most efficient way to learn characters.
3.Listen to Chinese daily: HSK-level podcasts (ChinesePod, HSK Online), dramas with subtitles.
4.Writing practice: type characters, not just recognize them — typing on a phone builds recall.
5.Grammar points: study 把, 被, 虽然...但是, 只有...才... — they're tested directly.
6.Take official practice tests from Hanban at chinesetest.cn.