Free test

Chinese Reading & Grammar Test

This free Chinese reading test finds your level in reading, sentence building and grammar. It adapts to you as you go, has audio you can play, and emails you a full report with what to work on next.

HSK 3.0 Levels 1–6About 25–35 minutesCharacters or pinyin
Start the test
The test

Take the free Chinese reading test

Your answers save as you go, so you can stop and come back later on the same device.

WillyChina · Reading & Grammar Test
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Four parts

What the Chinese reading test covers

Each part checks a different skill, from recognising words to reading short articles.

zì · character

Characters and words

Choose what each word means. Every word comes from the official HSK 3.0 word list for its level, and there’s no pinyin to lean on.

jù · sentence

Sentence building

Tap words into order to say something in Chinese. Some words don’t belong, and from Level 3 you get a situation instead of an English sentence to translate.

fǎ · rule, as in 语法 (yǔfǎ, grammar)

Grammar

Choose the word that fills the gap, from 的 (de) and 在 (zài) at Level 1 to 与其…不如 (yǔqí… bùrú, rather than) at Level 6.

dú · to read

Reading

Read short notes, notices and articles, then answer two questions on each. The question stays on screen while you read.

Characters and words question in the WillyChina Chinese reading test: choose what 身体 (shēntǐ) meansSentence building question in the Chinese reading test: tap the words in order to say “Tomorrow I’m going to the hospital”Grammar question in the Chinese reading test: choose the word that fills the gap in 他___会说中文 (He can’t speak Chinese)Reading question in the Chinese reading test: a short article about slow living, with a question pinned below it
How it works

How the Chinese reading test finds your level

1

Tell us how you read

Choose characters or pinyin, then say how you’d describe your Chinese. The test starts at that level.

2

It adapts as you go

Get two right in a row and the questions step up. Miss one and they step down, so most of the test sits close to your real level.

3

Hear it if you like

Sentence and grammar questions have audio you can tap to play. Nothing plays on its own.

4

Get your report

Your level, a level for each part and the grammar points to work on next, sent to your inbox.

Vocabulary levels follow the official HSK 3.0 word lists. Grammar levels are WillyChina’s own estimates against the HSK 3.0 grammar syllabus. The result is a placement guide, not an official HSK score. New to the levels? Read HSK 3.0 explained.

Your report

What you get from the Chinese reading test

  • Your HSK 3.0 level, and the range it most likely falls in.
  • A level for each part: words, sentence building, grammar and reading.
  • Up to three grammar points to work on, with a link to the WillyChina guide that teaches each one where we have one.
  • A next step for your level, from vocabulary packs to HSK preparation lessons.
  • A review of every question you missed, with the right answer next to yours.
  • A copy for Will, so if you book a call he already knows where you’re starting from.

You see your level as soon as you finish, and the full report arrives by email. Here’s a sample.

Sample report from the WillyChina Chinese reading test, showing HSK Level 3, a level for each part, the grammar points to work on next and a suggested next step
Speak but don’t read?

Take the Chinese reading test in pinyin

Plenty of people speak Chinese well but read very few characters, often because they learned at home or by listening. Choose the pinyin route at the start and the words part shows pinyin with audio, while every sentence and grammar question shows pinyin under each word.

The reading part is skipped on that route, since it can only test characters. Your report says so, and Will can check your reading with you in class.

Which test?

Quick placement test or the full Chinese reading test?

Short on time? Start with the quick test. Want to know exactly where your reading and grammar stand? Take this one.

FeatureQuick placement testReading & grammar test
TimeAbout 5 minutesAbout 25 to 35 minutes
Questions15Up to 26, adapting to you
SkillsVocabulary, characters, tones, listening and grammarCharacters, sentence building, grammar and reading
Your resultYour HSK level and a shareable level cardA full report by email, with the grammar points to work on next
HSK 3.0 levels

What each HSK level means for your reading

Each level adds words to the one before. Here’s how many words each level covers in total, and what you’ll read at that level in this test.

LevelWords in totalWhat you’ll read in this test
Level 1300Short notes, signs and opening hours
Level 2500Short messages about daily life
Level 31,000Notices, emails and short descriptions
Level 42,000Short articles on everyday topics
Level 53,600Opinion pieces on work and lifestyle
Level 65,400Essays on ideas, society and culture

Word counts come from the HSK syllabus published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (November 2025). For exam dates and formats, see the official HSK page from Chinese Testing International.

Want a plan built around your Chinese reading test result?

Book a free 30-minute intro call. Will goes through your result with you and suggests where to start.

Book a free 30-minute intro call
Questions

FAQs

Yes. There’s no charge and no account. You give your first name and email so we can send you your report.
Most people finish the Chinese reading test in 25 to 35 minutes. Complete beginners usually finish sooner, because a part ends early once the questions are clearly too hard.
Anyone learning Mandarin who wants to know where their reading and grammar stand, from complete beginners to around HSK Level 6. It suits self-taught learners, people returning to Chinese after a break, and people who speak well but have never been tested on reading.
The Chinese reading test gives you a level and the range it most likely falls in, so you can see how sure it is. Every answer counts towards the result, not just your last few, and questions you answer with “I don’t know” count as not yet known rather than as guesses. Treat the result as a strong starting point: Will checks it with you in your first lesson.
It shows which HSK 3.0 level your reading and grammar are at today, and which grammar points to work on. To practise the exam itself, try our free HSK 1 mock test, which follows the official Level 1 format, or see the HSK preparation lessons.
No. Choose the pinyin route and words appear in pinyin with audio, and every sentence shows pinyin under each word. The reading part is skipped on that route.
No. It’s a placement guide that tells you roughly which HSK 3.0 level your reading and grammar are at, so you know where to start. Official HSK results come only from the exam itself, taken at a registered test centre.
HSK 3.0 Levels 1 to 6. HSK 3.0 also has Levels 7 to 9, taken as a single advanced exam, which this test doesn’t cover.
Yes. Tap “Take the test again” at the end. Questions are picked at random at each level, so you’ll see a different mix.
Your report goes to you and to Will, so he can see where you’re starting from. We keep your name, email, country and result on file (see our privacy policy), and only send you other emails if you tick the box for monthly tips.
Keep going

Build on your result

Quick checkMandarin placement testFifteen questions on vocabulary, tones, listening and grammar, in about five minutes.Take the quick testLevelsHSK levels explainedWhat each HSK level means and how many words it takes.Read the guideGrammarChinese grammar guidesClear guides to the grammar this test checks, from 了 (le) to 把 (bǎ) sentences.Browse the guidesWritingChinese writing practiceLearn stroke order for HSK characters, trace them and review them every day.Open the toolExam prepHSK preparation lessonsLessons with Will, built around the HSK level you’re aiming for.See the courseVocabularyHSK 3.0 Band 1 packAll 300 words on the official HSK 3.0 Level 1 list, in one pack.See the pack