HSKK Intermediate (中级), explained
HSKK Intermediate (HSK 口语考试中级) is the middle of the three HSK speaking tests. You repeat 10 sentences, describe 2 pictures and answer 2 printed questions, speaking for two minutes on each of the last four. It takes about 23 minutes, assumes about 900 words, and passes at 60 of 100.
The format
| Part | Task | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Listen and repeat (听后重复) | 10 | 5 min |
| 2 | Picture description (看图说话) | 2 | 4 min, 2 min each |
| 3 | Answer the questions (回答问题) | 2 | 4 min, 2 min each |
| Total | 14 | 13 min, plus 10 min preparation |
These are the figures on the official test site as of October 2026. Older sample papers print 3 minutes for part 1 and 21 minutes in all. The items and the two-minute answers 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, with no interviewer in the room. 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 one to two academic years and know about 900 common words. In ability that is HSK 3 to HSK 4, whose lists hold 600 and 1,200 words.
For registration, many centers outside mainland China have booked HSK 4 together with HSKK Intermediate since 2022. A university that asks for spoken Chinese usually names the pair, for example HSK 4 with HSKK Intermediate. Full detail on the written papers is in the HSK exam format.
What each part asks you to do
Part 1: listen and repeat
A sentence plays once and you say it back. The sentences are longer than at beginner level and often carry a connector. Example:
他昨天因为感冒没有来上班。 Tā zuótiān yīnwèi gǎnmào méiyǒu lái shàngbān. He did not come to work yesterday because he had a cold.
Part 2: picture description
Two pictures are printed on the paper. You speak for two minutes about each. Say who is there, where they are and what they are doing, then add what happened before or what you think will happen next. A safe opening line:
图片上有一个女孩儿，她正在公园里跑步。 Túpiàn shang yǒu yí ge nǚháir, tā zhèngzài gōngyuán li pǎobù. There is a girl in the picture. She is running in the park.
Part 3: answer the questions
Two questions are printed with pinyin. Each gets a two-minute answer. They ask for an opinion and a reason. This one is from an official sample paper:
你喜欢和什么样的人交朋友？为什么？ Nǐ xǐhuan hé shénmeyàng de rén jiāo péngyou? Wèi shénme? What kind of people do you like to make friends with? Why?
The 10 minutes of preparation come after part 1 and cover both pictures and both questions.
How to prepare
- Time a two-minute monologue every day. Two minutes is about 250 to 300 syllables at a calm pace. Record it, listen back, and fix one thing.
- Learn one frame for pictures. Who, where, doing what, why, what next, your own view. The same six steps fit any picture.
- Learn one frame for opinions. Your view, first reason with an example, second reason with an example, short close. 我觉得, 因为, 比如, 所以 carry the whole answer.
- Shadow longer sentences. Practice sentences of 12 to 18 syllables with 因为, 虽然, 如果 and 把. Hold the meaning and the sound comes back with it.
- Split the preparation time. About two minutes of notes per item. Write key words only.
Common ways people lose points
- Finishing a two-minute answer in 40 seconds. Length is part of the mark.
- Listing objects in the picture and never telling a story about them.
- Writing a full script during preparation, then reading it in a flat voice and running out of text.
- Dropping the second half of a long sentence in part 1. If you lose it, say the part you kept clearly.
- Answering the question you prepared for and missing the one that was asked.
Under HSK 3.0 each level from 3 to 6 has its own speaking paper, and the level 4 paper is 5 items in about 20 minutes. 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 Intermediate hard?
The vocabulary is modest, about 900 common words. The hard part is length. Four of the 14 items ask you to speak alone for two minutes each, and most learners at this level have never done that. People who practice timed monologues usually pass. People who only study for the written HSK often run out of things to say.
What is the pass mark for HSKK Intermediate?
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 for HSK 4?
Often, yes. At many test centers outside mainland China, HSK 4 has been registered together with HSKK Intermediate since 2022. In mainland China the two are booked separately, and you need the HSKK only if a university, scholarship or employer asks for it. Under HSK 3.0, level 4 candidates in the pilot sittings registered for the level 4 speaking paper instead.
Can I take HSKK Intermediate without the HSK?
Where the HSKK is sold on its own, yes. There is no rule that you must hold an HSK certificate first. Where your center bundles the two, you book them together.
How many words do I need for HSKK Intermediate?
About 900 common words by the official description. That sits between HSK 3 at 600 words and HSK 4 at 1,200.
How long is HSKK Intermediate?
About 23 minutes by the current official structure: 13 minutes of answering and 10 minutes of preparation. Older sample papers print 21 minutes for the same 14 items.
Two minutes is easy when you have said it before. GraphChinese trains speaking from lesson one with a memorized kit of comments and questions, so an opinion prompt is a move you already own. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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