What HSK Level Does Duolingo Chinese Get You To?
Duolingo's only official HSK claim is that its Chinese course covers HSK 1 to 3 and about half of HSK 4, on the old six-level HSK. That claim dates from the course's launch in 2017, when it ended at CEFR level A2. Since April 2026 the course runs to B2, but Duolingo hasn't said what HSK level that equals. In our view, someone who learns only with Duolingo will recognise vocabulary at around HSK 2–3 level, and will need extra listening, reading and writing practice to pass HSK 4.
For a verdict on the app as a whole, see our Duolingo Chinese review.
What Duolingo Says About the HSK and CEFR
When the course launched for English speakers on 16 November 2017, Duolingo wrote that it "teaches more than 1,000 words and nearly 1,000 characters, covering all vocabulary and grammar points necessary to pass levels 1 through 3 of the HSK (the official Chinese proficiency test), as well as almost half of the content of level 4", and that this "roughly corresponds to the A2 level" of the CEFR (Duolingo blog, archived copy; the original page has since been taken down).
Three things are worth noticing:
- It refers to the old HSK. In 2017 the exam had six levels, with 600 words for HSK 3 and 1,200 for HSK 4. The nine-level "HSK 3.0" standard didn't exist until 2021.
- It covers vocabulary and grammar, not skills. The exam also tests listening and reading speed and, from HSK 3, writing.
- The course has changed a lot since. Duolingo rebuilt its biggest courses around the CEFR scale (A1 to C2), and on 22 April 2026 it announced that Chinese and eight other courses now teach through B2, or a Duolingo Score of 129. Before that, it said, most learners could only complete content up to A2 (a score of 59).
The 2026 announcement doesn't mention the HSK, and at the time of writing we couldn't find any Duolingo statement mapping the expanded course to HSK levels, old or new.
What "Levels" Mean in the Duolingo Chinese Course
Duolingo doesn't use HSK levels in the app. The course is a path of sections, each made of units of short lessons; intermediate units are now short mini-units, so the later sections have hundreds each. At the time of writing, the unofficial tracker Duolingo Data lists eight sections for Chinese from English: an introduction, two at A1, one at A2, two at B1 and two at B2.
Your progress shows as a Duolingo Score next to the course flag, on a scale up to 160. Duolingo says it tells you "how much of the course material you've completed", and links score bands to the CEFR: 30–59 is A2, 60–99 is B1 and 100–129 is B2. It rises as you finish lessons; it isn't a test result.
Duolingo Sections and Approximate HSK Levels
Treat this as a rough guide, correct at the time of writing: Duolingo doesn't build its course from HSK word lists, and its only HSK statement covers the A2 content.
| Duolingo section | CEFR level and Duolingo Score | Approximate old HSK (six levels) | Approximate new HSK (2021 standard) | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sections 1–3 | Introduction and A1 (score up to 29) | HSK 1–2 | Part of level 1 | Our estimate |
| Section 4 | A2 (score 30–59) | HSK 3, plus about half of HSK 4 | Around level 2 by word count | Duolingo's 2017 claim; the new-HSK figure is our arithmetic (about 1,000 words, against 1,272 for level 2) |
| Sections 5–6 | B1 (score 60–99) | Not stated by Duolingo | Not stated by Duolingo | No HSK claim; one CEFR comparison suggests HSK 5 (below) |
| Sections 7–8 | B2 (score 100–129) | Not stated by Duolingo | Not stated by Duolingo | No HSK claim; the same comparison suggests HSK 6 |
That comparison is from the Fachverband Chinesisch, the association of Chinese teachers in German-speaking countries. In 2010 it rejected the CEFR labels in the HSK's own documents (which called HSK 4 "B2") and proposed A2 for HSK 4, B1 for HSK 5 and B2 for HSK 6. Its A2 matches Duolingo's 2017 claim well, but we've seen no evidence that Duolingo's B1 and B2 sections teach anything like the HSK 5 and 6 word lists.
What the HSK Actually Tests
The HSK (汉语水平考试, hànyǔ shuǐpíng kǎoshì) is run by Chinese Testing International. The six-level exam's word lists run from 150 words (HSK 1) to 5,000 (HSK 6). The 2021 standard has nine levels in three bands, with cumulative lists from 500 words at level 1 to 5,456 at level 6. New-format levels 1–6 launch worldwide on 13 December 2026 and become the standard exam from 2027. Our post on whether you should take the HSK has the full tables.
The word list is only the start. The exam tests skills against the clock:
- Listening (听力, tīnglì) at every level.
- Reading (阅读, yuèdú) at every level. HSK 1 and 2 print pinyin with the characters; from HSK 3 you read characters only.
- Writing (书写, shūxiě) from HSK 3: putting words in order, writing characters and, higher up, writing your own sentences and an essay.
- Speaking is a separate exam (the HSKK) on the six-level HSK, and is built into the new format from level 3.
HSK 4, the level Duolingo's claim stops halfway through, has 100 questions in about 105 minutes, and you pass with 180 out of 300.
Why Finishing Duolingo Isn't the Same as Passing HSK 4
Duolingo teaches a lot of useful Chinese, but it trains the exam skills less:
- Listening at natural speed. On HSK 4 each recording is played only once, at normal speed, across 45 questions. Duolingo's sentences are short and you can replay or slow them down; DuoRadio and Stories help, but they're scripted around words you've already learned.
- Reading long texts quickly. HSK 4 has 40 reading questions in 40 minutes, with no pinyin or tap-for-a-hint. Most Duolingo exercises are a sentence or two long.
- Characters in unfamiliar sentences. Recognising 汉字 (hànzì, characters) in a familiar exercise is easier than reading them in a new passage. Our vocabulary roadmap explains why recognition and active use grow at different speeds.
- Producing Chinese. HSK 4's writing section asks you to build sentences from jumbled words, such as 喝 / 他 / 咖啡 / 不 / 想 into 他不想喝咖啡 (tā bù xiǎng hē kāfēi, he doesn't want to drink coffee), and to write your own sentence about a picture. If you take the paper test, you write characters by hand.
- A different word list. Duolingo chooses vocabulary by topic, not from HSK lists, so expect gaps at every level.
Where Duolingo Learners Usually Land
We haven't found a study testing Duolingo Chinese learners against the HSK, so this is a judgement, not a statistic. Based on Duolingo's claim and learner reports, finishing the A2 content puts you at around HSK 2–3 recognition, usually weaker in listening and reading speed than the word count suggests.
The expanded course doesn't seem to change that much. A Japanese learner who finished the course in May 2026 at the maximum score of 130, and who had passed HSK 3 two years earlier, judged its vocabulary to be about HSK 2–3 level. They noted that the words don't follow the HSK lists and that speaking exercises often accepted wrong tones, and felt ready for daily conversation, not the workplace use Duolingo's B2 description promises. That's one learner, but it matches what we'd expect.
None of this makes Duolingo a bad start. It builds a daily habit better than almost anything else, it introduces tones and characters gently, and it's free. Our Mandarin Mosaic vs Duolingo comparison covers where it's the better choice.
How Long It Takes to Finish Duolingo Chinese
Duolingo doesn't publish a completion time for Chinese. Its own guide for Spanish and French learners suggests that a year of consistent, serious study could take you to the end of Section 4, the end of A2.
For Chinese, the Duolingo Data tracker counted about 4,000 lessons when the course ended at A2 (October 2025), and about 9,000, including DuoRadio sessions, now that it reaches B2. At about four minutes a lesson (our assumption; it varies a lot), that's:
- To the end of A2: roughly 250–270 hours, or about two years at 20 minutes a day and about a year at 45 minutes a day.
- The whole course to B2: roughly 600 hours, or around five years at 20 minutes a day and about 20 months at an hour a day.
If you already know some Chinese, you can jump ahead. For typical times per HSK level, see how long it takes to learn Mandarin.
How to Close the Gap to Your Target HSK Level
Keep Duolingo if you enjoy it, and add what it doesn't train.
1. Find Out Where You Are
Mark the words you know on the official list for your target level, then try a sample paper from the Chinese Tests Service website, which has sample questions and mock tests. One timed paper shows whether vocabulary, listening or reading is weakest. Finish with timed papers in the last few weeks.
2. Learn the Missing Words in Sentences
Learn each missing word inside a sentence, and review it with spaced repetition. That's what Mandarin Mosaic is built for. It has HSK 1–6 lesson packs and packs for the new HSK 3.0 levels 1–7. Each sentence has one new word where possible, with audio, cloze (fill-in-the-blank) practice and scheduled reviews. Our sentence mining guide shows how it works.
3. Read and Listen Every Day
Reading and listening speed only come from daily practice with material where you know almost every word, working up to audio for native speakers at full speed. Mandarin Mosaic's Chinese Articles reader has graded articles, our guide to reading Chinese news lists free sources from HSK 1 upwards, and our guide to comprehensible input explains how to choose audio at the right level.
4. Practise Writing and Speaking
From HSK 3, write a few sentences a day, typed with a pinyin keyboard or by hand if you'll take the paper test. Speaking is often Duolingo learners' biggest gap, and it counts in the HSKK and the new HSK from level 3. The Chunking Chinese fluency trainer, a browser-based speaking app covering HSK 1–5, is built for that step: it gives you an English prompt, you say the whole sentence in Chinese, and it scores each character for sound and tone. At the time of writing, there's a 7-day free trial and then it costs $30 a month, with places opening in small groups from a waiting list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Duolingo Chinese Test?
No. At the time of writing, Duolingo's only proficiency exam is the Duolingo English Test, which tests English. The Duolingo Score shows how far through the Chinese course you are, but it isn't an exam or a certificate. For proof of your Chinese, the usual certificate is the HSK.
Can Duolingo Make You Fluent in Chinese?
Not on its own. Even with the 2026 B2 sections, it gives limited practice with real-speed listening, long reading and free speaking. Our post on why Duolingo won't make you fluent in Chinese goes into the reasons.
Is Duolingo Enough for HSK 1?
Probably, for the six-level exam. HSK 1 has 150 words, tests only listening and reading, and prints pinyin, and Duolingo's A1 sections cover many of the same everyday topics. Check the word list for gaps and try a sample paper. The new-format HSK 1, from 13 December 2026, has a 500-word list, so expect to add more.
Does Duolingo Follow the New HSK 3.0 Word Lists?
Not as far as we can find. Duolingo designs its courses around the CEFR, and its one HSK comparison predates the new standard. For the new exam, work from the current official list.
Ready to build on Duolingo? Mandarin Mosaic teaches each HSK level in real sentences, one new word at a time, with audio and spaced repetition. At the time of writing, there's a 30-day free trial, then a free plan with one lesson a day, or Premium from £7.92 a month billed yearly (£11.95 monthly). Get it on iOS or Android.