You can earn a high HSK score and still fail to meet a university’s language requirement. The reason is HSKK, a separate speaking exam that some programmes require alongside the written certificate.
There is no universal rule that every applicant needs HSKK either.
What HSKK is
HSKK assesses spoken Chinese. Candidates listen to prompts and record their answers through a microphone.
There are three levels:
- Elementary;
- Intermediate;
- Advanced.
The official parameters are:
| Level | Questions | Time including preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 27 | 20 minutes |
| Intermediate | 14 | 23 minutes |
| Advanced | 6 | 25 minutes |
The maximum score is 100 and the passing score is 60. The result is valid for two years from the test date.
Does your university require HSKK?
The answer depends on:
- the university;
- the programme;
- the language of instruction;
- the degree level;
- the scholarship route;
- the admission year.
For example, Donghua University’s 2026 undergraduate guide asks applicants to Chinese-taught programmes to provide an HSKK result together with HSK. That is one university’s official requirement, not a nationwide rule.
If the admission guide lists only HSK, do not book HSKK because of a forum comment. If HSKK is listed separately, however, a strong written score does not replace it.
Which level should you take?
Some universities name an exact HSKK level; others ask only for a score report. Old HSK-to-HSKK equivalence charts are often repeated as permanent rules, but the current university notice matters more.
Check:
- the required level;
- the minimum score;
- the validity date;
- the accepted test format;
- whether the original report is required;
- whether HSKK is needed at application or before registration.
Why HSK 3.0 causes confusion
The new HSK system has three stages and nine levels. In HSK 7–9, speaking is already part of the combined exam alongside listening, reading, writing and translation.
At the same time, the official portal still publishes separate HSK 1–6 and HSKK exams. You therefore cannot assume that HSKK has been abolished for every applicant.
Check the exam you will actually take and the university’s active admission rules. See our HSK 3.0 status tracker for the current picture.
Can HSK preparation alone be enough?
Sometimes, but it is risky. HSK trains recognition, reading, listening and writing. HSKK requires you to:
- repeat what you hear;
- describe a situation;
- build a coherent answer;
- control pronunciation;
- speak into a recorder without feedback from another person.
A learner may recognise 2,000 words and freeze on the first original sentence. That is not unusual; it is a predictable result of passive preparation.
How to prepare
Elementary
- repeat short phrases;
- practise basic answers about yourself and daily life;
- work on clear tones;
- answer without long pauses.
Intermediate
- retell short passages;
- describe an image or situation;
- answer questions about study, work and society;
- use linking expressions and a clear response structure.
Advanced
- build arguments;
- paraphrase;
- discuss complex topics;
- control accuracy, logic and register.
Record yourself every day. Hearing your own mistakes is uncomfortable, which is precisely why it works.
When should you take it?
Leave enough time for score release and a second attempt. Even when HSK and HSKK appear on the same day’s schedule, register for the components required by your test system.
Check whether the result will be available before the university deadline, not merely whether the test happens before it.
Bottom line
HSKK is not mandatory for every international student, but it may be mandatory for you.
The uncomfortable truth is simple: a written certificate does not prove that you can answer a lecturer. Universities that request HSKK are testing exactly that gap.
