HSK 1 Listening Practice: 4 Sets with Free Audio

By the end you can

• Sit four full HSK 1 listening sections. Four sets of 20 all-new questions, about 12 minutes each, with the parts and timing of the new HSK 1 listening section (HSK 3.0). Every recording plays twice.
• Match a sentence to a picture. Part 1 has five short sentences about people at home and around town. Hear each twice and choose the picture it describes.
  爸爸在睡觉。 · Bàba zài shuìjiào. · Dad is sleeping.
• Choose the right reply to a question. Part 2 has five everyday questions and greetings. Pick the answer that fits, from times and drinks to where someone lives.
  你想喝什么？ · Nǐ xiǎng hē shénme? · What would you like to drink?
• Follow a two-line dialogue. Part 3 has five short exchanges between two speakers. Choose the picture that shows where they are or what they are doing.
  儿子，八点了，起床吧！ · Érzi, bā diǎn le, qǐchuáng ba! · Son, it's eight o'clock. Time to get up!
• Catch the detail a question asks for. Part 4 has five sentences, each followed by a question on a time, a number, a place or a reason.
  我今天没去上课，我病了。 · Wǒ jīntiān méi qù shàngkè, wǒ bìng le. · I didn't go to class today. I'm ill.
• Read every recording with pinyin and English. The transcripts print every line of all four sets in characters, pinyin and English, so you can see exactly which word you missed.
• Score each set and choose what comes next. The answer key has a score box for each part of each set. At 60% or more, go on to the next set. Below that, the book points you to SayMei's HSK 1 word and reading books first.

What’s inside

• Set 1: Set 1 · 20 questions
• Set 2: Set 2 · 20 questions
• Set 3: Set 3 · 20 questions
• Set 4: Set 4 · 20 questions
• Answer sheets: Answer sheets
• Transcripts: Transcripts
• Answer key: Answer key

How to use this book

One set a sitting, about 12 minutes plus time to mark and review. Four sets make four short sessions over a week or two.

1. Before you start: Set up. Print the set and its answer sheet from page 19. Sit somewhere quiet with headphones.
2. About 12 minutes: Play the whole set. Play the "Whole set" track without pausing, as in the exam. Each recording plays twice.
3. 3 minutes: Copy your answers. Move your answers onto the answer sheet.
4. Afterwards: Mark and replay. Mark the set with the key on page 34. Replay the part where you lost the most points while you follow its transcript.
5. Before the next set: Say it aloud. Read the transcript aloud after the speakers, line by line, until you can say each line at their speed.

Who it’s for

Beginners preparing for HSK 1 on the new HSK 3.0 exam who want more listening practice than one mock test gives, and teachers who want four listening sets with audio for a class.

Before you start: The HSK 1 words. If you're still learning them, learn the words first and come back for Set 1.

Frequently asked questions

What's in each set?

20 questions in four parts. Part 1: choose the picture for each of five short sentences. Part 2: pick the right reply to five everyday questions, from times and drinks to where someone lives. Part 3: match five two-line dialogues to pictures. Part 4: catch a time, a number, a place or a reason in five sentences. Four sets make 80 questions.

How is this different from the HSK 1 mock tests?

A mock test has one listening section as part of a full paper. This book gives you four new listening sections in the same format, so you can practise listening on its own, one short set at a time.

How long does each set take?

About 12 minutes played straight through, as in the exam, plus 3 minutes to copy your answers and time to mark it with the key on page 34. Four sets make four short sessions over a week or two.

Where is the audio, and can I read what I heard?

On this book's free listening page: a whole-set track for each set and a track for every part, so you can replay just the part you need. The transcripts print every line of all four sets in characters, pinyin and English, so you can see exactly which word you missed.

What if I score below 60% on a set?

The answer key points you to the HSK 1 Vocabulary Recall & Speaking Workbook or HSK 1 Reading Practice to build the words first. Then replay the set part by part with its transcript, and try the listening sections of HSK 1 Mock Test and HSK 1 Mock Test 2.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

HSK 1 Reading Practice: Signs, Messages & Micro-Stories · HSK 1 Vocabulary Recall & Speaking Workbook · HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences · HSK 1 Mock Test: Practice Test in the New HSK Format · Browse all 294 workbooks