How do I make an HSK study plan?

Place yourself with a short recognition test so you skip words you already know, then open the word table for your level and learn it in frequency order. Set a daily new-word target you can repeat every day, clear your due reviews before adding new cards, and let spaced-repetition software run the schedule.

How long does it take to learn HSK vocabulary?

At a sustainable 5 to 10 new words a day, the 2,209-word beginner band takes roughly 7 to 15 months, the 3,154-word intermediate band another 10 to 21, and the advanced band longer still. These count new-word learning only, not grammar, listening, review load, or handwriting, so treat each as a floor.

Should I learn HSK words for recognition or production first?

Recognition first. Being able to read a word when you see it is faster to build and unlocks reading and listening immediately. Production, recalling and using the word yourself, is slower and should trail behind, concentrated on the everyday words you will actually speak rather than every rare term on the list.

Why learn HSK vocabulary in frequency order?

Because a small set of common words carries most of everyday Chinese. Learning the most frequent words first buys the most comprehension per word, so you can read and follow real language sooner. The HSK levels are already roughly frequency-banded, and every word table here sorts by frequency inside each level.

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Study plans · free · no signup

Build an HSK study plan that fits where you actually are

A study plan is not a longer word list, it is an order of operations. This page hands you the same four-step path for any level: place yourself, open the right word table in frequency order, hold a daily target you can sustain with reviews first, then drill. Below it, pick the plan for your band and get concrete, honestly-derived timelines. Not sure where you sit? Take the free placement test.

Quick answer

What is the best way to make an HSK study plan?

Start by placing yourself with a short recognition test so you skip words you already know. Open the word table for your level, learn it in frequency order, and set a daily new-word target you can repeat, clearing reviews before adding new cards. Spaced-repetition software runs the schedule so your only daily decision is to show up.

Diagram of the study plan flow: your placement result sets a daily-pace gauge, which fills a calendar of completed reviews.

The path, in four steps

works at any level

From "where do I even start" to a daily habit

Every plan on this site follows this order. The only thing that changes by band is the size of the list and the calendar.

1 Find your levelPlacement test, about five minutes, free place
2 Open the right word tableLearn it in frequency order, most common first read
3 Set a sustainable daily targetReviews first, then new words, every day daily
4 Drill with spaced repetitionThe app schedules each word's next review drill

The order matters more than the tool. Placing yourself first means you never re-learn words you know; frequency order means the earliest words do the most work; reviews before new cards is the single discipline that decides how much of the list you keep.

Pick your plan

three bands · honest timelines

Plan	New words	At 5 to 10 / day	What "done" means	Open plan
Beginner Levels 1 to 3	2,209	~7 to 15 mo	Recognize every beginner word and hold a basic spoken exchange.	Open plan →
Intermediate Levels 4 to 6	3,154	~10 to 21 mo	Read simplified articles with light dictionary help and argue a point.	Open plan →
Advanced Levels 7 to 9	5,606	~18 to 37 mo	Read literature and professional texts near educated-native range.	Open plan →

Timelines count new-word acquisition only, at a steady 5 to 10 genuinely new words a day (10/day is the faster end, 5/day the slower). They exclude grammar, listening, handwriting, and the review load that grows as your pile of known words does, so read each as a floor, not a finish line. The word counts are computed from the shipped HSK 3.0 word list, so they cannot drift from the data.

Why the order is frequency, not level padding

A handful of very common words do most of the talking. Because those words sit at the bottom of the ladder, the first HSK level alone already covers about 50.4% of the words spoken in everyday Chinese, and the climb flattens fast after that. Learning in frequency order means every word you add is the most useful one still missing, so your reading and listening improve from day one instead of waiting for a milestone. Every word table on this site sorts by frequency inside each level, so "start at the top and work down" is a literal instruction.

This is method, and it is the same method in how to learn HSK vocabulary. What the plans below add is the personalized part: which list, how many a day, and what finishing your band actually buys you.

Recognition first, production later

Recognition	Reading a word when you see it. This is faster to build and unlocks reading and listening immediately, so every plan drills recognition first, across the whole list.
Production	Recalling and using a word yourself in speech or writing. It is slower and should trail behind, concentrated on the everyday words you will actually say, not every rare term on the list.
Why split them	Chasing production on every word doubles your workload for vocabulary you will only ever read. A recognition-heavy plan keeps the daily load sane while still growing what you can understand fastest.

Recommended app · disclosed

Want the schedule run for you?

Step 3, reviews before new cards, is the part manual study quietly drops. Wordbrush is our one disclosed pick: it holds your whole list, schedules each word with a modern algorithm, and protects the review queue. It never gates the free tables, tests, or plans here.

See why

Find your level · free

Do not know which plan is yours?

The placement check estimates your HSK level from a short recognition test, then links you straight into the right word table, in frequency order. No signup.

Take the placement test

Last reviewed 2026-07-24 by Mandarin Steps editorial team. Word counts computed from the shipped HSK 3.0 list; timelines are arithmetic from the stated daily paces. Method reflects established second-language vocabulary research, described as method and not as official HSK guidance.