HSK is the official standardized Chinese proficiency test for non-native speakers. Its vocabulary list is split into six levels and is widely used by textbooks, courses, and universities as a reference for “how much Chinese” a student knows. I pulled the full word lists for HSK 2.0 (4,993 words) and the new HSK 3.0 (5,344 words) and matched each word to see if it stayed at the same level, moved up or down, was removed, or is brand-new. I also did the same comparison at the single-character level.
In the last few years, HSK has been updated from version 2.0 to 3.0, with more levels and a big reshuffle of which words belong where. Textbooks and courses are gradually switching over to the new system, and many universities and test centers are in the process of migrating their placement and admission requirements from the old HSK levels to the new ones.
Posted by qubitspace