HSK 3.0 Mock Tests: Free Official Papers and How to Practise

With the first worldwide HSK 3.0 sitting on 13 December 2026, most mock tests online are still built for the old six-level exam. Official HSK 3.0 mock papers do exist. This guide explains where to find them, how to take one so that the result means something, and how to turn your mistakes into a study list for the weeks before the exam.

Independent guide: HanziBook is not affiliated with Chinese Testing International (CTI) or with any mock-test platform. Details below are from official announcements as reported in 2026; confirm them on chinesetest.cn or with your test centre.

The Short Answer

Official HSK 3.0 mock papers for levels 1–9 went live on the HSK Mock platform in January 2026, and they are reachable from the official test website, chinesetest.cn. They are the only mocks whose format you can trust for the new exam.

Take two to four of them in the last month, in one timed sitting each, and spend more time on the mistakes than on the score. For daily vocabulary practice between mocks, timed word drills - such as HanziBook's test prep - fill the gap.

Official HSK 3.0 Mock Papers: What Exists

The official mocks on HSK Mock

According to a notice from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission dated 7 January 2026, official HSK 3.0 mock papers were released on the HSK Mock platform on 4 January 2026. They follow the structure of the new exam, cover levels 1 to 9, and can be reached through the official Chinese Testing International website, chinesetest.cn. HSK Mock also has a mobile app; its store listing describes it as free to download with in-app purchases.

What we could not confirm: whether every official paper and every score report is free. Check the current terms on the platform before you plan around it.

The official syllabus

The HSK 3.0 exam syllabus (考试大纲 kǎoshì dàgāng), published in November 2025, is the authority on what each level's exam contains. If a mock and the syllabus disagree, the syllabus wins. It is published by CTI and linked from chinesetest.cn.

Third-party mocks

Several commercial sites and apps sell or give away "HSK 3.0" practice tests, some with automatic marking of writing. They can be useful extra practice, but they are not official, and many papers labelled simply "HSK" are still in the HSK 2.0 format. Before you take one, check which standard and which level it was written for.

What the Exam Tests, Level by Level

This is where published sources disagree most, so read it as a guide to what to check, not as the official format.

Levels 1–2: most sources say listening and reading only. At least one widely read comparison lists a writing section at level 2. The handwriting list itself starts at level 2.
Levels 3–6: writing is part of the exam from level 3, by most accounts. Speaking is unresolved: some sources describe it as part of the new exam from level 3, others say it was only required at the trial sittings, with the separate HSKK speaking test continuing.
Levels 7–9: one combined exam with listening, reading, writing, translation and speaking. Your score decides whether you are awarded level 7, 8 or 9.

We have deliberately left out question counts and timings: those that circulate online are mostly HSK 2.0 figures. The official mock papers show you the real structure for your level - one more reason to take them.

What a Mock Can and Cannot Tell You

What it can tell you

Whether you can finish each section in the time allowed
Which section costs you most points
Which question types surprise you, so they will not on the day
Roughly how far you are from the pass mark, if the paper is official and you sat it under exam conditions

What it cannot tell you

Your exact exam score: one paper samples only some of the level's words and grammar
How speaking and writing will be marked, unless the mock is marked by the official system
Whether you are ready, if you took it with pauses, a dictionary or the transcript open
Anything about HSK 3.0, if the paper was written for HSK 2.0

How to Simulate Exam Conditions

Use the same format as your sitting - HSK sittings are offered on paper and on computer. If you are booked on a computer test, practise on a computer; on paper, print the paper and use a pencil and an answer sheet.
One sitting, no pauses - Block out the full exam time plus 15 minutes. Do not stop the audio, rewind, or check a word halfway through.
No help - No dictionary, no pinyin input help you would not have on the day, no phone. Put everything out of reach before you start.
Same time of day - If your sitting is in the morning, take the mock in the morning. That way you practise concentrating at the hour that counts.
Mark it the same day - Check your answers while you still remember why you chose them. That memory is what makes the mistake list useful.

A 4-Week Routine Before the Exam

This assumes you have already covered your level's word list. If you have not, finish the words first - a mock cannot teach you vocabulary you have never seen. Our HSK 3.0 study plan shows how long that takes.

Week 4 before the exam - baseline - Take your first official mock under exam conditions. Write a mistake list (see below) and count your misses per section.
Week 3 - fix the biggest gap - Spend most of the week on your weakest section. Do a short timed vocabulary drill every day and clear your review queue.
Week 2 - second mock - Take a different official paper. Compare per section with week 4: if one section did not improve, change how you practise it, not just how much.
Week 1 - keep it light - One last mock early in the week, then review only. Confirm your admission ticket, ID, test-centre address and start time. Sleep matters more than one more paper.

How to Use HanziBook's Timed Test Prep

HanziBook's test prep is vocabulary practice, not a mock exam. It does not reproduce HSK sections, question types or scoring. What it does is check, under time pressure, whether you know the words of a level.

Choose the HSK 3.0 standard, then a level from 1 to 6 or the combined 7–9 band (HSK 2.0 levels 1–5 are there too). Choose 10, 20 or 30 questions. Each question gives you 20 seconds and four options: a character to match with its meaning, a meaning to match with its character, or - if your device can play speech - a word you hear to match with its character.

At the end, one button puts every missed word into your review queue. It needs a free account.

Best use: a 20-question session at your level every day or two in the last month, on days without a full mock. A score that stays high across sessions means the vocabulary side of the exam is not your problem.

Turning Mistakes into a Review List

After each mock, sort every mistake into one of four groups. The group tells you what to do next.

I did not know the word - Add it to your review queue. Look it up on HanziBook and take its writing quiz, or collect several in a custom lesson; misses from test prep go in with one button.
I knew the word but missed it in listening - Your ears are behind your eyes. Review those words in listening mode and listen to each one several times, with and without the characters on screen.
I knew every word but misread the sentence - A grammar or reading-speed problem. Reread the sentence, find the structure you missed, and read more short texts at your level.
I ran out of time - Practise the section with a strict timer, and learn to skip a hard question and come back to it.

Words you add come back in your review queue after 1, 3, 7 and 21 days. With four weeks to go, that means every word missed in your first mock has been reviewed several times by exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there official HSK 3.0 mock tests?

Yes. Official mock papers for levels 1–9 were released on the HSK Mock platform in January 2026 and are linked from the official test website, chinesetest.cn.

Are the official mock tests free?

We could not confirm that every paper and score report is free. The HSK Mock app is free to download and offers in-app purchases. Check the platform's current terms.

Can I practise with old HSK 2.0 mock papers?

For general listening and reading practice, yes. As a readiness check, no: the word lists and level boundaries changed, and the format may differ, so an HSK 2.0 score tells you little about an HSK 3.0 level with the same number.

How many mock tests should I take?

Two to four in the last month is enough for most people. More papers without studying the mistakes in between mostly measures the same gaps again.

When should I start doing mock tests?

About four weeks before the exam, once you have covered your level's word list. An early mock can still be useful as a one-off taste of the format, but do not judge your readiness by it.

Is HanziBook's test prep an HSK mock test?

No. It is timed multiple-choice vocabulary practice for each HSK level, with listening questions where your device supports speech. Use it between mocks to keep the words fresh, and use the official papers to practise the exam itself.

Sources

Checked on 20 October 2026.

Official mock papers: Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, "Experience HSK 3.0 early - official HSK mock tests now live" (edu.sh.gov.cn, 7 January 2026)
HSK Mock app: Apple App Store listing (free with in-app purchases)
Exam syllabus and sittings: Chinese Testing International, chinesetest.cn
Exam format: Wikipedia ("Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi") and test-centre pages - they disagree for levels 1–6, as noted above
First worldwide sitting on 13 December 2026: CTI notice of 9 September 2026, as reported by several schools and test centres

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