How to study the HSK courses in Laowai on iPhone and iPad
Native app
If you want a lesson sequence rather than a vocabulary table, use the HSK course paths in the Laowai app. They combine learning steps and practice within a course.
Choose a course path in the app
Open the app’s learning area and choose an HSK course. Laowai offers structured HSK 1–4 paths. Open a lesson from the course outline and follow its activities in order.
A course path gives you a sequence. A personal word list gives you a chosen vocabulary set. You can use both: follow the course lesson, then keep words that need more practice in your regular review workflow.
The website’s official-source vocabulary catalogue serves another purpose. It lets you inspect and download source-edition word lists. Do not assume a matching level number makes every course, textbook and official list identical.
Use a lesson as a connected activity
Read the model and explanation before answering. For a beginner pattern such as 想 + action, notice which part changes across examples. Say one sentence about yourself after checking the model.
我想学中文。
Wǒ xiǎng xué Zhōngwén.
I would like to learn Chinese.
Then change the action: 我想看书, “I would like to read a book”. This checks whether you understand the structure beyond recognising the original sentence.
Complete the lesson’s activities and check its result. Use the saved course state to continue from the outline when you return. Course lesson progress and the history of an individual vocabulary skill describe different parts of your learning.
Try the previews and check Pro access
Free access includes the first HSK Level 1 unit’s six lessons and a complete preview lesson after it. Later levels also include a preview lesson. Reviews of earned course content remain available.
Laowai Pro unlocks all HSK 1–4 course paths and unlimited practice from your lists. Check the Free and Pro comparison and the terms shown in the app before buying. Storefront prices and available offers can differ.
If you already have eligible Pro access, use Restore Purchases in the app while signed in to the Apple Account that made the purchase.
Combine the course with your own reading
After a lesson, look for the same pattern in a short Chinese reading. Choose only a few unfamiliar words for extra practice, then return to the passage with fewer hints.
Keep exam preparation tied to the syllabus and sample tasks required for your booking. A completed course lesson is useful learning progress, but it is not an official exam result.
For teacher-led work, use a Classroom course assigned by your teacher. That course has its own lessons, submissions and feedback; it is distinct from the app’s HSK path.