HSK 2 Vocabulary Workbook
The 200 new Level 2 words (syllabus numbers 301–500) in 20 topic units, with example sentences and sentence-building exercises.
110 pages, US Letter. Paperback on Amazon, printable PDF on Gumroad.
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HSK 2 (New HSK 3.0): what's on the syllabus, and my books for it
Level 2 in numbers
| New words at this level | 200 (syllabus nos. 301–500) |
|---|---|
| Words in total by the end of Level 2 | 500 |
| Characters to recognise | 125 new, 371 in total |
| Handwriting characters | 100, one shared list for Levels 1 and 2 |
| Stage | Elementary (Levels 1–3) |
Level 2 is a short step after Level 1: 200 new words, which takes you to 500, and 125 more characters to recognise, 371 in all. That's the count in the 2025 syllabus that HSK 3.0 uses.
There is no separate Level 2 handwriting list. The syllabus has one list of 100 characters for Levels 1 and 2 together, which is why I made one writing book for both instead of two thin ones. If you already have it from Level 1, keep going with it.
The HSK 2 vocabulary book has the 200 words in 20 topic units with sentence-building exercises. It picks up where the HSK 1 book stops.
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.
My HSK 2 books
HSK 1–2 Character Writing Workbook
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.
Want both PDFs? There is a bundle:
- Level 2 bundle: HSK 1–2 writing book and HSK 2 vocabulary book, $14.99 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.
Exam dates
The first HSK 3.0 exam is on Sunday 13 December 2026. Chinese Testing International announced the worldwide launch on 9 September 2026.
- Registration is on chinesetest.cn. It closes at 24:00 Beijing time on 16 November 2026 for paper-based tests and on 3 December 2026 for computer-based tests.
- Test centres have limited places and can stop taking registrations before those dates, so check with yours early.
- For Levels 3 to 6 you register for the matching speaking test at the same time. Levels 7 to 9 are one combined exam.
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.