Panda Ink Press books › HSK 1
| New words at this level | 300 (syllabus nos. 1–300) |
|---|---|
| Words in total by the end of Level 1 | 300 |
| Characters to recognise | 246 |
| Handwriting characters | 100, one shared list for Levels 1 and 2 |
| Stage | Elementary (Levels 1–3) |
Level 1 is where everyone starts. In the syllabus that HSK 3.0 is built on (published by CLEC in November 2025, in force from July 2026) it comes to 300 words and 246 characters you should be able to recognise. The handwriting list works a little differently: there is one list of 100 characters for Levels 1 and 2 together, so my writing book covers both.
If you learned from older material, the numbers won't match. HSK 2.0 Level 1 had 150 words and the 2021 standard listed 500. The 2025 list sits in between at 300, so an older book will either leave words out or spend time on ones that now belong to later levels.
The 300 words are everyday basics. In my vocabulary book they are split into 30 small themes: greetings, family, numbers and money, days and times, meals, shopping, school, getting around, the weather, likes and wants, and a unit of little words like 很, 也 and 都.
If you're starting from zero, I'd begin with the vocabulary book and do two or three characters a day from the writing book alongside it. Leave the practice tests for the last few weeks before the exam, when you want to see the question types under time.
Counts are from the HSK syllabus published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation in November 2025 (in force from July 2026), which is what HSK 3.0 uses.
All 300 Level 1 words in 30 themed units. Each word has an example sentence with pinyin and English and boxes to trace it, and each unit ends with a practice page. 300 cut-out flashcards at the back.
158 pages, US Letter. Paperback on Amazon, printable PDF on Gumroad.
All 100 handwriting characters for Levels 1 and 2, one page each: stroke order, pinyin, meaning, a few words and a sentence, then tian zi ge squares to trace and write. A review page after every ten characters.
134 pages, US Letter. Paperback on Amazon, printable PDF on Gumroad.
Six full mock tests in the new Level 1 format, listening and reading, with an answer sheet for each and answers with explanations. The listening audio is free on hsk.teemate.net.
102 pages, US Letter. Paperback on Amazon, printable PDF on Gumroad.
Not sure yet? The free HSK 3.0 Starter Pack has 24 pages from the HSK 1 books, including the full 300-word list.
The first HSK 3.0 exam is on Sunday 13 December 2026. Chinese Testing International announced the worldwide launch on 9 September 2026.
Sources: chinesetest.cn and the Athens Business Confucius Institute notice. Checked 21 October 2026. Your test centre has the final word on its own dates.
