HSK 1 Vocabulary Test // 30 Questions to Check Your Level

Quick answer: This is a free 30-question HSK 1 vocabulary test drawn at random from the original 150-word HSK 1 list.

Score 60% or higher and you’re on track to pass the real HSK 1 exam, which tests listening and reading over about 35 minutes with both pinyin and Chinese characters provided.

The new HSK 1 covers 500 words instead of 150.

Time's up

What is HSK 1

Key Categories

Who Should Take HSK 1

How To Prepare For HSK 1

Ready To Go Further

FAQs

Ready to test your HSK 1 vocabulary? You’re in the right place. This quiz pulls 30 words at random from the HSK 1 list, enough to give you an honest read on where you stand before the real exam. 💪

The original HSK 1 exam tests 150 words (some lists include 154 when compound expressions are counted separately). If you’re preparing for the new HSK standard introduced in 2021, the new HSK 1 covers 500 words, a significant step up. The quiz below is based on the original 150-word list, which remains the most widely sat version.

Below you’ll find 30 of them, selected at random for you to quiz yourself.

If you want to push yourself harder here is a link to test yourself on all 154 words of the HSK 1 vocab list.

On the contrary, if you think this level is too easy for you, then have a look at the full list of HSK vocabulary quizzes.

What is HSK 1?

HSK (汉语水平考试, Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì) is China’s official Mandarin proficiency test, administered by Chinese Testing International. HSK 1 is the entry level of the Chinese proficiency test for beginners, designed for complete beginners who can understand and use a small set of everyday phrases.

Who is it for? Anyone who has studied Mandarin for around 60 to 80 hours. Whether you’re self-studying, taking group classes, or doing an intensive programme at one of LTL’s schools in Beijing or Shanghai, HSK 1 is your first milestone. 🎯

HSK 1 Test Format at a Glance

• Pass mark: 60 out of 100
• Script: Both pinyin and Chinese characters (simplified) provided
• Level equivalent: Approximately A1 on the CEFR scale

💡 TIP: HSK 1 and HSK 2 are the only levels where pinyin is included in the exam paper. From HSK 3 onwards, it’s characters only, so build your recognition skills now.

HSK 1 Vocabulary // Key Categories

The original HSK 1 vocabulary list covers 150 words across everyday topics. Here’s a sample from the most important categories to get you oriented before the quiz:

People & Pronouns

Numbers (一 to 十)

Numbers are some of the most recycled words in HSK 1. If you want extra practice, try our free Chinese numbers quiz 🔢

Everyday Verbs

Time Words

Think of these categories as your building blocks. Master them and you’ll recognise a solid chunk of the quiz questions below. 💡

Who Should Take HSK 1?

HSK 1 is the right starting point if you:

• Have studied Mandarin for roughly 60 to 80 hours (about 3 to 4 months of regular evening classes, or 2 to 3 weeks of intensive full-day study)
• Want a formal, internationally recognised HSK certificate level 1 record of your progress
• Are applying for a university programme in China that requires proof of language ability
• Need to demonstrate basic Mandarin competence to an employer

You don’t need to be enrolled in a course to sit HSK 1, it’s open to anyone. That said, students who study with a structured programme tend to reach the threshold faster. 🤔

For context: at LTL’s schools in Beijing and Shanghai, most students on a 2-week intensive programme are ready to sit HSK 1 by the end of their course. Your teacher will tell you honestly when you’re ready, we won’t push you to sit before you have a genuine shot at passing.

Find your perfect Mandarin program

How to Prepare for HSK 1

HSK 1 is achievable, but Mandarin isn’t a language where you can wing it. Here’s what actually works:

1. Focus on the 150-word list first. Before anything else, make sure you can recognise every word in the vocabulary list. Flashcard apps like Pleco let you drill characters, pinyin, and English together.
2. Practise listening every day. The listening section is 20 questions and runs at natural speed. Exposure to real spoken Mandarin, even 10 minutes a day, makes a measurable difference. YouTube channels, graded audio, and LTL’s Flexi Classes are all good options.
3. Take mock tests under exam conditions. Sit at a desk, time yourself, and resist the urge to look things up. Our HSK 1 extended quiz covers all 154 words if you want a full run-through as an HSK 1 sample test.
4. Learn words in context, not just in isolation. 我喜欢喝水 (wǒ xǐhuān hē shuǐ, ‘I like drinking water’) is easier to remember than memorising 喜欢, 喝, and 水 as three separate flashcards. Use sentences from day one to internalise HSK 1 grammar patterns.

💡 TIP: LTL students who combine vocabulary drilling with live conversation practice, even at beginner level, consistently outperform those who rely on flashcards alone. Our teachers in Beijing and Shanghai see this every week.

Here at LTL, we are no strangers to the HSK exam. With schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and across Asia, our teachers have helped thousands of students prepare for, and pass, every level of the HSK. 🎓

We’ve helped over 10,000 students in their language journey. Most sit an HSK exam to benchmark their level, whether they’re studying with us in China or online through Flexi Classes.

This is also a great way for employers to understand your abilities.

For someone who has passed the HSK 1 exam, they would be able to express very basic everyday phrases.

Also, they would be able to introduce themselves and answer questions like where they live, who they know and the things they have. Want to know more about the other HSK levels? The original HSK 1 exam covers 150 words.

The new HSK 1, introduced under the revised 2021 standard, expands that to 500 words in total. If you want a full breakdown of how the levels changed, our guide to HSK beginner vocabulary levels has everything you need.

Ready to Go Further?

The quiz is a starting point, not the finish line. If you want to turn your vocabulary knowledge into a real HSK certificate, here’s what to do next:

• Take the HSK exam with LTL, find out how our teachers prepare you from day one.
• Find your perfect Mandarin program, immersive courses in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and beyond.

Our students achieve a 98% HSK pass rate. That’s not luck, it’s structured preparation with native-speaker teachers who know exactly what the exam tests. Let’s get you there. 🦁

Frequently Asked Questions