HSKK Advanced (高级), explained
HSKK Advanced (HSK 口语考试高级) is the top of the three HSK speaking tests. You retell 3 passages you hear once, read 1 passage aloud, and answer 2 questions for two and a half minutes each. It takes about 25 minutes, assumes about 3,000 words, and passes at 60 of 100.
The format
| Part | Task | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Listen and retell (听后复述) | 3 | 8 min |
| 2 | Read aloud (朗读) | 1 | 2 min |
| 3 | Answer the questions (回答问题) | 2 | 5 min, 2.5 min each |
| Total | 6 | 15 min, plus 10 min preparation |
These are the figures on the official test site as of October 2026. Older sample papers print 7 minutes for part 1 and 24 minutes in all. The six items are the same in both.
Scoring and pass mark
The test is scored out of 100 and 60 is a pass. Your answers are recorded and graded later. The score is valid for two years from the test date. The HSKK overview compares all three levels.
Which HSK level it matches
The test is written for people who have studied for more than two academic years and know about 3,000 common words. In ability that is HSK 5 to HSK 6, whose lists hold 2,500 and 5,000 words.
For registration, many centers outside mainland China have booked both HSK 5 and HSK 6 together with HSKK Advanced since 2022. Details of the written papers are in the HSK exam format.
What each part asks you to do
Part 1: listen and retell
A short passage plays once. It is usually a small story or an explanation. You then retell it in your own words. The grader wants the people, the events and the order. Your opinion is not asked for. A useful opening line:
这段话主要讲了一个年轻人找工作的经历。 Zhè duàn huà zhǔyào jiǎng le yí ge niánqīngrén zhǎo gōngzuò de jīnglì. This passage is mainly about a young man looking for a job.
Part 2: read aloud
One printed passage of roughly 250 characters, read in two minutes. There is no pinyin. Idioms and set phrases appear often. This line is from an official sample paper:
千里之行，始于足下。 Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià. A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step.
Part 3: answer the questions
Two printed questions, each answered for two and a half minutes. They ask you to take a side and defend it. This one is from an official sample paper:
你认为小孩子该不该有零花钱？为什么？ Nǐ rènwéi xiǎoháizi gāi bu gāi yǒu línghuāqián? Wèi shénme? Do you think children should have pocket money? Why?
The 10 minutes of preparation come after part 1 and cover the read-aloud passage and both questions.
How to prepare
- Retell something every day. Play a 30 to 60 second clip of news or a podcast once, then retell it aloud. Take notes on who, when, what happened and how it ended.
- Read aloud against a clock. Take 250 characters of ordinary prose and read it in under two minutes. Mark your pauses at commas and full stops.
- Check readings as you go. Characters with two readings cost marks when you read them aloud. Look up every one you are unsure of.
- Build an argument frame. Position, two reasons with one example each, the other side in one sentence, your conclusion. 首先, 其次, 另外, 总之 hold it together.
- Read the passage first in preparation. Skim it once for unknown characters, then spend the rest on notes for the two questions.
Common ways people lose points
- Trying to repeat the passage word for word in part 1 and stalling after the first sentence.
- Adding opinions to a retelling and leaving out what happened.
- Stopping dead on an unknown character in part 2. Keep the rhythm and move on.
- Rushing the read-aloud. Speed with wrong tones scores below a steady, clear reading.
- Giving a position with no example, and ending a 150-second answer at 60 seconds.
Under HSK 3.0 levels 5 and 6 each have their own speaking paper of 5 items in about 23 minutes, and HSK 7 to 9 tests speaking inside the main exam. The first official HSK 3.0 sitting is 13 December 2026. See how speaking is tested under HSK 3.0 and the new HSK, explained.
Frequently asked questions
Is HSKK Advanced hard?
Yes. It is the hardest of the three by a wide margin. You retell passages you hear once, read unmarked text aloud with no pinyin, and argue a position for two and a half minutes. Many people who pass HSK 5 on paper need separate speaking practice before they pass this.
What is the pass mark for HSKK Advanced?
60 out of 100. The test reports one score, and the result is valid for two years from the test date.
Do I need HSKK Advanced for HSK 5 or HSK 6?
Often, yes. At many test centers outside mainland China, HSK 5 and HSK 6 have each been registered together with HSKK Advanced since 2022. In mainland China you need it only when a university, scholarship or employer asks for it. Degree programs taught in Chinese often do.
Can I take HSKK Advanced without the HSK?
Where the HSKK is sold on its own, yes. You do not need an HSK certificate to book it. Where your center bundles the two, you book them together.
How many words do I need for HSKK Advanced?
About 3,000 common words by the official description. That is a little above HSK 5 at 2,500 and below HSK 6 at 5,000.
Is there pinyin on the HSKK Advanced paper?
No. The read-aloud passage and both questions are printed in characters only. The beginner and intermediate papers print pinyin on their questions, and this one does not.
Retelling is a skill you can train daily. GraphChinese has narrated graded readings at every level and trains speaking from lesson one, so listening, reading aloud and giving a view are routine before exam day. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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