The overall requirements for learners from the new HSK levels are:

• Understand simple Chinese texts
• Make daily conversations on limited topics
• Use simple communication strategies to help
• Have some knowledge of Chinese culture and cross-cultural communication skills

We can tell there are two major difference compared to old HSK 1 to 4/5:

• Chinese characters are required right away from the very beginning, while the old HSK1 and HSK2 only required Pinyin on exams
• Culture and cross-cultural communication are included

Language topics B1
Personal information, daily routine, food, transportation, hobbies, etc.

Students should be able to complete related communication tasks such as: Know how to use polite words and phrases in different situations; Get information needed in a public environment.

Listening B1
Understand words, phrases and single sentences (with 80 words); Understand standard, clear and slow Chinese Mandarin, but the speed shall no slower than 100 characters per minute.

Understand some more complicated sentences with the help of pictures or real objects.

Speaking B1
Pronounce 269 pinyin syllabus correctly (example: ài, hèn, rén, shì), and students must be able to ask simple and answer questions.

Reading B1
Recognize 269 pinyin syllabus, 300 Chinese characters, and 500 vocabularies.
With the help of pictures or pinyin, be able to read simple texts (with 100 Chinese characters) at a speed of no less than 80 Chinese characters per minute.
Recognize basic popular symbols from street signs, notes, forms and maps.

Writing B1
Know how to handwrite from memory 100 basic characters. Example: 三(sān three), 鸡 (jī chicken). Students must understand the basic strokes, stroke orders and common punctuations.

Aside from writing from memory, students must be able to copy more complex characters at a speed of no slower than 10 characters per minute.

And students must be able to fill in personal information forms and leave a simple note to their friends.