Understanding the HSK cumulative system
How official HSK levels build on each other — and how HSKacer organizes vocabulary.
What does “cumulative” mean?
Each HSK level defines a total vocabulary target. When you reach HSK 3, you are expected to know every word from HSK 1, HSK 2 and HSK 3 combined — not just the words introduced at level 3 alone. The number shown for each level is the full pool you should master by that point.
Example
HSK 2 Standard lists 300 cumulative words: the 150 from HSK 1 plus about 150 new words. Passing HSK 2 means you know all 300, not just the newest 150.
Two official systems
HSK Standard (2.0)
Classic HSK 1–6 — 150 to 5000 cumulative words. Still used in many countries.
HSK 3.0 (2026)
New HSK 1–9 (2026 edition) — 300 to 11000 cumulative words. Updated vocabulary for modern China.
Level word counts
Cumulative totals from the official syllabi. “New words” is how many are introduced at that level only.
| Level | Cumulative total | New at level |
|---|---|---|
| HSK1In app | 150 | +150 |
| HSK2In app | 300 | +150 |
| HSK3In app | 600 | +300 |
| HSK4In app | 1,200 | +600 |
| HSK5 | 2,500 | +1,300 |
| HSK6 | 5,000 | +2,500 |
How HSKacer stores vocabulary
In this app, each level deck contains only the new words introduced at that level — not a repeat of every lower level. When you study HSK 3, you practice the ~300 words added at that level; words from HSK 1 and 2 live in their own decks.
Your progress is tracked per word. Select multiple active levels on the HSK Levels page to mix them in a single study session, or use Explore by Theme to pull words across levels into themed packs.