Is my existing HSK 2.0 certificate still valid?

Yes. Certificates are not revoked retroactively. HSK certificates have their own two-year validity from the date of the exam, and that is unaffected by the change of syllabus — check the date, not the version.

I was preparing for the old HSK 3. Was that wasted?

No. The old 600 words of level 3 are contained in the new 1,000. What changed is how the vocabulary is split across levels and how much of it there is, not the language itself. You top up the difference rather than starting over.

Is the new exam harder?

At the bottom it is simply bigger: level 1 doubled from 150 words to 300. At the top the ceiling rose from 5,000 words to 11,000, but the new bands 7–9 fill a gap that used to sit between old HSK 6 and real fluency. Handwriting went the other way: 3,088 characters to recognise, only 1,200 to write.

Which level do universities in China require now?

That is set by each university, and during the transition they differ: some already quote the new levels, others still write “HSK 4” or “HSK 5” meaning the old ones. Ask the admissions office rather than relying on general articles, this one included.

The new HSK 3.0 from 1 July 2026: what changed and which exam to take

The exam people sat for fifteen years ended on 1 July 2026. Six levels became nine, the top band went from 5,000 words to 11,000, and reading and handwriting became separate lists: 3,088 characters to recognise, 1,200 to write by hand.

Most preparation material in circulation was written for the old exam and is not dated. Below: what actually changed, what it means if you were already preparing, and which exam to sit now.

In short

Nine levels. Three bands of three: elementary (1–3), intermediate (4–6), advanced (7–9). Levels 7–9 are a single exam.
More words, distributed differently. HSK 1 has 300 instead of 150, HSK 3 has 1,000 instead of 600, the top has 11,000 instead of 5,000.
You do not write everything you read. A separate handwriting list: 1,200 characters out of 3,088.
Earlier study still counts. The word lists nest: what you learned stays valid, you top up the difference.
The transition runs through 2026. Both exams are available at many centres; check at registration.

How it happened

March 2021China’s Ministry of Education publishes GF 0025-2021, a standard describing Chinese proficiency in three bands and nine levels. Not an exam — but its figures are the ones that circulated as “HSK 3.0” for the next five years.
November 2025The exam syllabus itself appears: 406 pages of word, character, topic and grammar lists by level. Its volumes are smaller than the standard’s — 300 words at level 1 rather than 500.
January 2026Pilot sittings of the new exam at selected centres worldwide.
1 July 2026The syllabus takes effect. From this date “HSK” means the new exam.
Through 2026Transition period: many centres offer both. What you can sit on a given date is visible at registration, not in general guidance.

Words per level, before and after

Cumulative. The middle column is the 2021 standard: not an exam, but the source of the figures that circulated as “HSK 3.0” for five years and still turn up.

Level	Was (2.0)	2021 standard	Now (2026)
HSK 1	150	500	300
HSK 2	300	1,272	500
HSK 3	600	2,245	1,000
HSK 4	1,200	3,245	2,000
HSK 5	2,500	4,316	3,600
HSK 6	5,000	5,456	5,400
HSK 7–9	—	11,092	11,000

Which exam to sit

The honest answer is: check at registration. The changeover is gradual, and what is on offer depends on the centre and the date rather than on a general rule. What can be said with confidence:

If you need a certificate within months — sit whatever your centre offers on the date you need. Both produce valid certificates, and HSK validity is two years from the exam date either way.
If your exam is a year out or more — prepare for the new syllabus. By then the old one will be gone everywhere, and since the word lists nest, nothing you learn is wasted in the meantime.
If a university or employer set the requirement — ask them which numbering they mean. During the transition, “HSK 4” can refer to either exam, and the two are not the same thing.

The official lists, level by level

We parsed the whole syllabus: 11,000 words with pinyin and glosses, and 3,088 characters with stroke counts, split by level. Free and open, no sign-up.

Frequently asked

Is my existing HSK 2.0 certificate still valid?: Yes. Certificates are not revoked retroactively. HSK certificates have their own two-year validity from the date of the exam, and that is unaffected by the change of syllabus — check the date, not the version.
I was preparing for the old HSK 3. Was that wasted?: No. The old 600 words of level 3 are contained in the new 1,000. What changed is how the vocabulary is split across levels and how much of it there is, not the language itself. You top up the difference rather than starting over.
Is the new exam harder?: At the bottom it is simply bigger: level 1 doubled from 150 words to 300. At the top the ceiling rose from 5,000 words to 11,000, but the new bands 7–9 fill a gap that used to sit between old HSK 6 and real fluency. Handwriting went the other way: 3,088 characters to recognise, only 1,200 to write.
Which level do universities in China require now?: That is set by each university, and during the transition they differ: some already quote the new levels, others still write “HSK 4” or “HSK 5” meaning the old ones. Ask the admissions office rather than relying on general articles, this one included.