HSK, TOCFL and CEFR: how the levels compare
As of November 2026, there is no official CEFR table for the new HSK, while Taiwan’s TOCFL sets its own levels against the CEFR, from Level 1 = A1 to Level 6 = C2. By word count alone, the new HSK 2 is about A1, HSK 3 about A2, HSK 4 about B1 and HSK 5 to 6 about B2, with C1 and C2 inside HSK 7–9. The old HSK’s table, HSK 1 to 6 = A1 to C2, was made for shorter levels.
Whatever level you are aiming for, it starts with the words. Hanzio helps you learn them: its decks for every HSK and TOCFL level teach each word’s meaning, pinyin and tones, sound and writing, and bring it back just before you would forget it.
Disclosure: we make Hanzio. The table below is our own estimate; the sources are listed at the end.
The new HSK on the CEFR, by word count
The CEFR, the Council of Europe’s scale for language levels, runs from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery) and sets no word counts. So we held the new HSK’s word lists against two yardsticks: the vocabulary Germany’s association of Chinese teachers (FaCh) gives for A1 to B1, and Taiwan’s TOCFL exam, which sets each of its levels against the CEFR. The figures are numbers of words, as running totals.
| CEFR | New HSK | TOCFL | FaCh 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| below A1 | HSK 1 300 | Novice 1–2 160–393 | – |
| A1 | HSK 2 500 | Level 1 740 | about 500 |
| A2 | HSK 3 1,000 | Level 2 1,225 | about 1,000 |
| B1 | HSK 4 2,000 | Level 3 2,399 | about 2,000 |
| B2 | HSK 5–6 3,600–5,400 | Level 4 4,741 | – |
| C1 | HSK 7–9 11,000 | Level 5 7,517 | – |
| C2 | Level 6 no list | – |
Read it as a rough guide: the CEFR measures what you can do, not how many words you know. A CEFR level also covers speaking, which HSK 1 to 6 do not test: speaking has its own exam, the HSK speaking test, often called the HSKK.
HSK or TOCFL?
The HSK is mainland China’s exam, in simplified characters, with nine levels. The TOCFL is Taiwan’s, with eight (Novice 1 and 2, then Levels 1 to 6), and you can take it in traditional or simplified characters. Take the HSK if you study simplified characters or are heading to mainland China, and the TOCFL if you study traditional characters or are heading to Taiwan. Our post on simplified vs traditional Chinese helps you choose a script, and our guide to the HSK compares the two exams in more detail.
Why the old table no longer fits
The old six-level HSK put HSK 1 to 6 at A1 to C2. FaCh rejected that in 2010: the old levels asked for about a third of the words other languages need at the same level, so it placed most of them two steps lower, with HSK 6 at B2. The new HSK asks for more words at every level (HSK 4 went from 1,200 to 2,000), so the old labels don’t carry over. Old scores stay valid for two years, so check which version a requirement means.
If you’re asked for a CEFR level
- Ask which certificates count. The university or employer sets its own equivalence, and should say whether it means the old HSK or the new one.
- Add the HSKK if speaking counts. HSK 1 to 6 have no speaking section.
- On a CV, rate yourself on the CEFR grid. Europass uses it for each skill; name your certificate beside it.
Learning the words with Hanzio
Hanzio has a deck for every level of the new HSK and of the old one, and the TOCFL word lists if you learn traditional characters. The daily plan brings in a few new words a day and reviews each one in meaning, pinyin, writing and listening, just before you would forget it. For HSK 1 there is also a course of grammar lessons and short stories.
Learn the words for your level
Frequently asked questions
What CEFR level is HSK 4?
There is no official answer. By word count, the new HSK 4 (2,000 words) is about B1. The old exam’s own table put its HSK 4 at B2, and Germany’s association of Chinese teachers at A2.
Which TOCFL level matches HSK 4?
There is no official match. By word count, the closest is TOCFL Level 3 (B1, 2,399 words) for the new HSK 4 (2,000 words).
Is HSK 6 C2?
Only on the old exam’s own table. By word count, the new HSK 6 (5,400 words) is about B2, and C1 falls within HSK 7–9.
What HSK level is B2?
By word count, about HSK 5 to 6 of the new exam: Taiwan’s TOCFL lists 4,741 words for B2, between the new HSK 5 (3,600) and HSK 6 (5,400).
Is there an official CEFR table for the new HSK?
No. As of November 2026, neither CTI, which runs the exam, nor CLEC, which sets what it covers, has published one. Any table for the new HSK, ours included, is an estimate.