HSK 3.0 asks you to read 3,088 characters but write only 1,200 of them by hand. Paste any Chinese text to see which characters you need to be able to write at your level, and which you only need to recognise.
None of the characters in this text are on the handwriting list for this level.
Nothing here: every character in this text is one you need to write.
The HSK 3.0 syllabus grades characters twice. One list sets the characters you must recognise at each level, 3,088 in total. A second, much shorter list sets the characters you must be able to write by hand: 1,200 in total. Every character on the writing list is also on the reading list, at the same level or earlier.
The counts build up: each level adds new characters to the ones before it. Levels 1 and 2 share a single list of 100.
| Level | New to write | Total to write |
|---|---|---|
| HSK 1–2 | 100 | 100 |
| HSK 3 | 150 | 250 |
| HSK 4 | 150 | 400 |
| HSK 5 | 150 | 550 |
| HSK 6 | 150 | 700 |
| HSK 7–9 | 500 | 1,200 |
For comparison, by the end of HSK 3 you need to read 655 characters, and by the end of HSK 6, 1,940.
For the exam, yes: only the characters on the writing list are expected by hand. Many learners still practise writing the most common reading characters, because writing a character a few times helps you remember it. Use the lists below to decide what to practise first.
Green characters are on the writing list at or below your level. Blue characters are on the writing list for a higher level. Grey characters only need to be read, and red characters are not on any HSK 3.0 list.