HSK Test Dates

Here’s the official list of HSK Test dates for 2020, converted from the official Confucius Institute website.

Exam Type	Registration Deadline	Exam Date	Results Posted
Written	December 13th of 2020	January 9th	February 9th
Online	December 30th of 2020	January 9th	January 25th
Written	January 10th	February 6th	March 13th
Online	January 27th	February 6th	March 1st
Online	February 25th	March 7th	March 22nd
Written	February 21st	March 20th	April 20th
Online	March 10th	March 20th	April 5th
Written	March 14th	April 10th	May 15th
Online	March 31st	April 10th	April 26th
Written	April 18th	May 15th	June 15th
Online	May 5th	May 15th	May 31st
Written	May 23rd	June 19th	July 19th
Online	June 9th	June 19th	July 5th
Written	June 21st	July 18th	August 18th
Online	July 8th	July 18th	August 2nd
Written	July 26th	August 22nd	September 22nd
Online	August 12th	August 22nd	September 6th
Written	August 15th	September 11th	October 18th
Online	September 1st	September 11th	September 27th
Written	September 20th	October 17th	November 17th
Online	October 7th	October 17th	November 1st
Online	October 27th	November 6th	November 22nd
Written	October 24th	November 20th	December 20th
Online	November 10th	November 20th	December 6th
Written	November 8th	December 5th	January 5th of 2022
Online	November 25th	December 5th	December 20th

What’s an Online or Written test?

Online and written refer to two different ways to take the exact same test. The questions are the same, the time limit is the same, the scoring and certificate are the same, it’s just two different ways to take the same exam. Written test refers to a written test on paper, the same kind of test you’ve taken a hundred times before. Online tests are kind of a misnomer (no, you can’t actually take the test online). It refers to being able to take the exam on a computer, where you type out the answer. I generally recommend trying to take the online test: it’s easier and faster to sign up and get your results, plus I just prefer using the computer.

Will my local Confucius Institute follow this schedule?

Probably, but double check with your local instiution. This is the official list of test dates the Confucius Institute headquarters in China will recognize and score. Your local Confucius Institute can’t hold any exam that the headquarters doesn’t approve of but they can hold less. If your local Confucius Institute is going to be closed on a specific date or they don’t think there will be enough demand, they can choose not to hold an exam on that date.

How do I sign up?

To actually take the HSK test you need to do two things. First, you need to sign up on the Hanban website. Second, you’ll actually have to go and take the test.

To sign up you need to go to the Hanban website. You’ll need to make an account, choose a date and location, and officially sign up for the test. Be warned, there will also be a fee for taking test; this varies by test center but usually around $50 USD. If you want a more in-depth guide, Culture Yard wrote a great step-by-step guide about signing up for the HSK.

Once the test date arrives, drive to the Confucius Institute with appropriate ID, probably just a Driver’s License. Usually there’s no strict schedule, more like a four hour window when you can show up and take the test. At the Confucius Institute there will be someone, probably a student volunteer, who will take your information, set up your test area, and offer to store anything (like your phone) that you can’t bring into the test. There’s usually a few other people taking the test but no one says anything; it’s really quiet. Expect to spend about an hour taking the test.

The test results will be available online at the Hanban website on the date listed above, usually about a month after you take the test.

Good Luck!