HSK 4 Study Guide: Format, Skills Tested, and Preparation

Key takeaways

• HSK 4 is an intermediate-level Chinese proficiency exam that tests the ability to discuss a wide range of topics in Chinese and communicate with native speakers fluently.
• The exam tests listening, reading, and writing, with a total of 100 points.
• Passing requires a score of 180 out of 300 (combining all three sections at 100 points each).
• HSK 4 requires knowledge of approximately 1,200 words (cumulative from HSK 1 through 4).
• This level corresponds to approximately HSK 4 in the current standard, covering advanced everyday and semi-professional Chinese communication.

HSK 4 is where Chinese language ability starts to feel genuinely functional in professional and social settings. At this level, the vocabulary required extends beyond everyday survival topics into current events, opinions, abstract concepts, and workplace communication.

Candidates who reach HSK 4 can hold conversations with native Chinese speakers on a wide range of topics, though not yet at the same depth or precision as an educated native speaker.

Chinese teachers who have worked with HSK 4 candidates understand which grammar patterns and vocabulary sets appear most frequently and help you target the areas where your reading and listening speed needs the most improvement. italki has over 30,000 tutors across 150+ languages making it easy to find a tutor specialising in HSK.

This guide covers the HSK 4 format, what each section tests, the vocabulary you need, and how to prepare.

What is HSK 4?

HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, 汉语水平考试) is the standard Chinese language proficiency test for non-native speakers, administered by Hanban (the Chinese International Chinese Language Education Foundation). The exam has been in continuous development and the current standard exam series (often referred to as the standard HSK) assesses levels HSK 1 through HSK 6, with each level building on the vocabulary and grammar from all previous levels.

HSK 4 tests intermediate Chinese proficiency. Candidates who pass HSK 4 can converse on a wide range of topics in Chinese, including familiar everyday situations, work-related topics, and opinions on social matters. HSK 4 is recognised by many Chinese universities and employers as evidence of functional intermediate Chinese.

For context on the full HSK level range, the HSK exam guide covers all levels from HSK 1 through HSK 6\.

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HSK 4 exam format

The HSK 4 exam has three sections.

Section	Questions	Duration	Score range
Listening	45 questions	Approximately 30 minutes	0-100
Reading	40 questions	40 minutes	0-100
Writing	15 tasks	25 minutes	0-100

Total: 0-300 points. Passing score: 180\.

Listening

The listening section has three parts:

Part 1 (10 items): Short dialogues. You hear a short conversation and determine whether a statement about it is true or false.

Part 2 (15 items): Short dialogues. You hear a conversation and answer one multiple-choice question about the content.

Part 3 (20 items): Longer dialogues or monologues. You hear an extended exchange and answer one or two multiple-choice questions per piece.

Reading

The reading section has three parts:

Part 1 (10 items): Sentence completion. Match two halves of sentences from two columns.

Part 2 (10 items): Sentence and passage completion. Fill in a word from a list into each blank in a text.

Part 3 (20 items): Reading comprehension. Read passages of varying length and answer multiple-choice questions about the main idea, specific details, and the author’s position.

Writing

The writing section has two parts:

Part 1 (10 items): Sentence reordering. Arrange a set of words or phrases into a grammatically correct sentence.

Part 2 (5 items): Sentence completion using a given keyword. Write a sentence of your own using the provided word or phrase.

Practice each section with a Chinese tutor who gives you immediate feedback on timing, accuracy, and common mistakes.

HSK 4 vocabulary

HSK 4 requires knowledge of approximately 1,200 vocabulary items, cumulative across HSK 1 through 4\. At this level, vocabulary includes more abstract nouns, opinion-expressing verbs, adjectives for personality and quality, and formal connective expressions.

Sample HSK 4 vocabulary:

Chinese	Pinyin	English
否则	fǒuzé	Otherwise / or else
顺利	shùnlì	Smoothly / successfully
温度	wēndù	Temperature
竟然	jìngrán	Unexpectedly / actually
适合	shìhé	Suitable / to suit
复杂	fùzá	Complex / complicated
影响	yǐngxiǎng	To influence / influence
态度	tàidu	Attitude
尽管	jǐnguǎn	Although / even though
严格	yángé	Strict / rigorous
推迟	tuīchí	To postpone / to delay
增加	zēngjiā	To increase / to add
优点	yōudiǎn	Advantage / merit
重视	zhòngshì	To value / to take seriously
确实	quèshí	Indeed / certainly

HSK 4 vocabulary includes many two-character compounds where understanding the individual characters helps decode meaning. Building vocabulary through reading connected Chinese texts at the HSK 4 level, rather than isolated word lists, retains vocabulary more durably and builds the reading speed the exam requires.

Grammar at HSK 4 level

HSK 4 grammar extends into more complex sentence patterns, including:

Comparative and conditional expressions: 宁可…也不… (nìngkě…yě bù…), 只要…就… (zhǐyào…jiù…), 即使…也… (jíshǐ…yě…)

Resultative and potential complements: Verb \+ 得了 (déliǎo) / 不了 (bùliǎo), Verb \+ 起来 (qǐlái)

Advanced connectives: 由于 (yóuyú), 尽管 (jǐnguǎn), 因此 (yīncǐ), 然而 (rán’ér)

Practising these patterns in writing tasks and sentence reordering exercises builds the grammatical intuition the writing section tests. Work with a Chinese tutor to solidify these structures through active production rather than rule memorisation.

How to prepare for HSK 4

HSK 4 preparation benefits from a structured approach that treats listening, reading, and writing as skills that reinforce each other.

For listening , practising with audio at natural Chinese speed is important at HSK 4\. The listening section at this level uses natural-paced Mandarin, not the slowed delivery of lower HSK levels. Podcasts in Mandarin Chinese at the intermediate level, Chinese news summaries, and HSK 4 official practice recordings all build the processing speed the section requires.

For reading , working with graded Chinese readers at the 1,000-1,500 word vocabulary level and then progressing to simplified newspaper articles builds the reading fluency the comprehension questions require. Reading the HSK 4 vocabulary list in sentence context rather than in isolation is more efficient than learning words individually.

For writing, practising sentence reordering with HSK 4-level grammar patterns and then doing timed sentence completion exercises builds the accuracy and speed the writing section requires. The sentence reordering task rewards understanding of Chinese word order and sentence structure, which becomes intuitive only through extensive reading and writing practice.

The guides to HSK 5 and HSK 6 cover the next levels if you are planning your progression beyond HSK 4\.

For over 15 years, italki has connected language learners across 190+ countries with teachers who understand exam requirements, including HSK exam specialists who know exactly what examiners expect. Book a trial lesson on italki today.

FAQ

How many words do I need to know for HSK 4?

HSK 4 requires knowledge of approximately 1,200 vocabulary items in total, cumulative across HSK levels 1 through 4\. This includes all vocabulary from HSK 1 (150 words), HSK 2 (300 words), and HSK 3 (600 words), plus the HSK 4-specific vocabulary. The official HSK vocabulary lists are published by Hanban and are the definitive scope for the exam.

Is HSK 4 enough to work in China?

HSK 4 demonstrates functional intermediate Chinese and is recognised by many Chinese universities and employers as evidence of working-level Mandarin. For most professional roles requiring Chinese, HSK 4 is a recognised credential, though positions requiring advanced written Chinese or complex communication typically expect HSK 5 or HSK 6\. HSK 4 is commonly used for internship applications, study abroad programs, and entry-level roles in Chinese-language environments.

What is the difference between HSK 4 and HSK 3?

HSK 3 tests approximately 600 words and focuses on familiar everyday topics including family, shopping, weather, and simple routines. HSK 4 requires approximately 1,200 words and extends into opinions, work topics, abstract concepts, and social issues. The listening at HSK 4 uses longer dialogues at a more natural pace. The reading at HSK 4 includes more complex sentence structures and longer passages. The writing at HSK 4 requires producing sentences using specific vocabulary items rather than just matching or selecting.