The curriculum: four stages, each a “you can now…”

We don't measure progress in "chapters covered" but in what you can do at the end of each stage — in a market, on the phone, in an interview. The durations below are realistic for 3 sessions a week plus short daily practice; anyone promising much faster is selling a fantasy.

HSK note: the exam system is transitioning to a new standard from July 2026 — we keep the curriculum aligned and always advise checking chinesetest.cn before registering. Details in HSK levels explained.