HSK 5 Mock Test: Practice Test in the New HSK Format

By the end you can

• Sit a full HSK 5 paper in the new format. 72 questions, 35 listening, 35 reading and 2 writing, in about 110 minutes, with the parts, question counts and timing of the new HSK 5 paper (HSK 3.0).
• Practise both listening parts, hearing each recording once. Answer 19 questions on short dialogues, then 16 on longer recordings with several questions each. As in the exam, every recording plays only once.
  客人的航班推迟了，晚上八点才到。 · Kèrén de hángbān tuīchí le, wǎnshang bā diǎn cái dào. · The guest's flight has been delayed. It won't land until 8 p.m.
• Practise all three reading parts. Choose the best word, phrase or sentence for each gap, put the five parts of a text in order, and answer questions on longer passages.
• Write a picture story and an essay. Write a story of at least 100 characters from four pictures, then an essay of at least 200 characters on how you plan your time.
  说说你怎么安排自己的时间 · Shuōshuo nǐ zěnme ānpái zìjǐ de shíjiān · Talk about how you plan your time
• Take the 5-item speaking paper. Retell two short stories in 1.5 minutes each, tell the story in three photos, then give your view on two questions with 3.5 minutes to prepare and 2.5 to speak.
• Work to exam timing. Listening about 25 minutes, reading 35 and writing 40, plus 5 for your details and 5 to transfer answers. Speaking takes about 23 minutes more.
• Mark the paper and compare with the models. The key covers every question, with model answers for both writing tasks and all five speaking items, and the transcript prints every recording in full.
• Find what to practise next. The Score yourself box counts your marks per section and names a SayMei workbook for any section below 60%.

What’s inside

• Listening: Listening · 35 questions
• Reading: Reading · 35 questions
• Writing: Writing · 2 questions
• Speaking: Speaking · 5 questions
• Answer sheet: Answer sheet
• Transcript: Listening transcript
• Answer key: Answer key and model answers

How to use this book

The written paper takes about 110 minutes and speaking about 23 more. Keep the transcript and key aside until you finish, and sit it a week or two before your exam.

1. Before you start: Set up. Print the paper and the answer sheet (page 14). Sit somewhere quiet with a pen, headphones, a timer and a phone to record yourself.
2. About 25 minutes: Listening. Scan the QR code and play the Whole listening section track without pausing. Each recording is heard once. Then take 5 minutes to transfer your answers.
3. 35 + 40 minutes: Reading, then writing. Set a 35-minute timer for reading, then 40 minutes for the two writing tasks. Stop when each one rings.
4. About 23 minutes: Speaking. Play each speaking track, then pause it for your preparation and answer time, using the timer at saymei.app/guides/hskk-speaking-test.
5. Afterwards: Mark and review. Score yourself with the key, compare your story, essay and spoken answers with the models, and read the transcript for any listening question you missed.
6. A few days later: Try another paper. Take HSK 5 Mock Test 2 to see whether your weakest section has improved.

Who it’s for

Learners about to take HSK 5 on the new HSK 3.0 exam, including its speaking paper, and teachers who want a full practice paper with audio for a class.

Before you start: The HSK 5 words and grammar, reading long passages without pinyin, and writing 200 characters in 40 minutes or less. The HSK 5 Course Book covers the level.

Frequently asked questions

What's in the paper?

Listening has 35 questions in two parts, reading 35 in three, and writing 2: a story of at least 100 characters from four pictures and an essay of at least 200 characters on how you plan your time. The speaking paper has 5 items: retell two short stories, tell the story in three photos, and give your view on two questions.

How long does it take?

About 110 minutes for the written paper: listening about 25, reading 35 and writing 40, plus 5 for your details and 5 to transfer answers. Speaking takes about 23 minutes more. Keep the transcript and key aside until you finish, and sit it a week or two before your exam.

Does it have pinyin or English?

No. The instructions are in English, but the questions, the transcript and the model answers are in characters only, without pinyin or translation. Every listening recording is heard once.

How do I mark the essay and the speaking?

Compare your work with the model answers in the key: check that you covered every picture or point, linked your ideas and reached the character count. For speaking, pause each track for your preparation and answer time, using the timer at saymei.app/guides/hskk-speaking-test, and record yourself so you can compare.

How close is it to the real HSK 5 exam?

It follows the published structure of the new HSK 5 paper (HSK 3.0): the same sections, parts, number of questions and timing, with words from the 2025 HSK syllabus. SayMei wrote every question, so use it as practice. HSK 3.0 pass marks are not published, so treat your score as a guide.

What should I use after it?

The Score yourself box names a SayMei workbook for any section below 60%. A few days later, take HSK 5 Mock Test 2 to see whether your weakest section has improved. For more speaking practice, the HSK 5 Speaking Mock Test (HSKK) has two more timed papers.

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 5 Reading Practice: Articles, Arguments & Detail · HSK 5 Paraphrasing & Written Responses · HSK 5 Vocabulary Workbook: Collocations, Word Families & Recall · Complete HSK 5 Workbook Pack: Reading, Vocabulary, Writing & Mock Test · Browse all 294 workbooks