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China CSCA: The Complete Exam & Test Guide For 2026 Applicants

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 | Published: September 26, 2025

What is China CSCA?

The China CSCA(China Scholastic Competency Assessment) is a standardized academic proficiency test designed for international students applying to bachelor degree programs in Chinese universities. It assesses students' capabilities in Chinese, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry to ensure they meet the admission standards of universities in China.

From August to September 2025, China has officially established the “China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA)” to create a unified and authoritative admission standard for international undergraduates, ensuring fairness, improving quality control, and supporting the “Study in China” brand. Starting from 2026, all applicants for undergraduate programs at Chinese Government Scholarship universities must take the test before submitting their applications, and the test result paper shall serve as one of the required materials for university admission review. This article shows you all useful information you have to know.

Quick Navigation

1. Test-takers
2. Difficulty and Syllabus
3. Format and Dates
4. Registration and Fees
5. Results
6. Preparation Tips
7. FAQs
8. CSCA Required University List and Latest Policies
9. List of Universities Don't Require CSCA

I. Test-takers:

On October 12, 2025. Undergraduate students enrolled in Chinese Government Scholarship universities will take the test.

On December 21, 2025. The first global CSCA examination will be held.

Starting from 2026, all applicants for undergraduate programs(for both scholarship and self-funded program applicants) at Chinese Government Scholarship universities(list can be found at part VIII of this article) must take the test before submitting their applications, and the test result paper shall serve as one of the required materials for university admission review.

CSCA test takers


Starting in About 2028 (planned), all undergraduate applicants to Chinese universities will be required to take the exam, and China will establish minimum standards for undergraduate admissions.

International Students Taking The China CSCA Test - Generated by AI

II. Difficulty and Syllabus:

1. CSCA Humanities Chinese Syllabus | CSCA STEM Chinese Syllabus | CSCA Mathematics Syllabus | CSCA Physics Syllabus | CSCA Chemistry Syllabus

2. Previous Test Papers For Reference

3. Learn CUCAS Mock Test | Take Mock Test Directly

4. Below are feedbacks from students who have taken the CSCA exam:
-4.1. The tests include some basic questions from junior high school and senior high school.
From a Myanmar student who took the CSCA exam on October 12, 2025.
-4.2. The system is simple; you can go back to the previous question and change your answer if you want, but before you submit. About the exam scope: Chemistry: Topics include questions such as the molecular formula of calcium chloride, identifying oxides in chemical reactions, the products formed, and other conceptual questions. Mathematics: Topics include arithmetic and geometric sequences, ellipses, slopes, eccentricity, trigonometric function values such as sin 30°, cos, and tan, as well as inverse functions, even and odd functions (for example, multiple-choice questions asking which one is an even function or which equation represents a standard circle).
From another Myanmar student who took the CSCA exam on October 12, 2025.

CSCA difficulty

III. Format and Dates:

International Students Taking The China CSCA Test - Generated by AI

3.1 Test Run in October 2025:
Offline. Take the exam in a classroom via computer; the exam paper consists of multiple-choice questions (based on current information)

Both Chinese and English test papers are provided. Mathematics is a compulsory subject, while Physics and Chemistry are optional subjects. Each university may decide, based on the student‘s major, whether to require them to take the optional subjects.

Students who have taken the Chinese Government Scholarship preparatory program graduation exam at any of the 17 designated preparatory universities(Including Tianjin University, Nanjing Normal University, Shandong University, Central China Normal University, Tongji University, Beijing Language and Culture University, Northeast Normal University, Beijing International Studies University, Capital Normal University, and the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE)) are exempt from the test.

Below is the detailed arrangement; each test lasts 1 hour.

Schedule for China's First and Second CSCA Tests

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3.2 The First Global CSCA Examination On December 21, 2025:
The exam will primarily be taken online at home. The first offline testing centers (centralized computer-based or paper-based) will be established in Vietnam and Thailand. Note: If there is a test center in your area, you are not eligible to register for the Remote-proctored Home-based Test (RHT).

Subjects:
The test includes four subjects: Specialized Chinese, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Specialized Chinese is divided into two categories: Humanities Chinese and Science(STEM) Chinese. Applicants for undergraduate programs taught in Chinese must take the corresponding test according to their chosen major. Applicants for undergraduate programs taught entirely in English are exempt from the Specialized Chinese test. Applicants for the Chinese Language major may be exempted if they can provide a valid HSK Level 4 certificate.

Mathematics is a compulsory subject and serves as an important basis for assessing applicants’ academic foundation and logical reasoning ability; all applicants are required to take the test.

Physics and Chemistry are optional subjects, and each university may decide whether to require them according to its training needs. In principle, applicants for science, engineering, agriculture, or medical majors must take at least one test of the two subjects. More details about test subjects can be found below:

CSCA Exam Subject Configuration Overview

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Test Language:
Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry are offered in both Chinese and English test papers, and applicants may choose the language version according to the language of instruction required, or requirements of their intended university.

Test Arrangements:
The first test is scheduled for December 21, 2025, and registration will open at 14:00 (Beijing Time) on 10 November 2025 and close on November 28, The Internet Speed Test function will be available from December 2 to December 5 (Beijing time). All candidates must enter the registration system to perform the speed test. The test schedule is as follows (Beijing Time):

Schedule for China's First Global CSCA Test

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The specialized Chinese test includes question types such as character recognition, cloze exercises, word distinction, paragraph construction, sentence completion, and reading comprehension.
 

3.3 Starting From 2026:
Online + offline (centralized computer-based or paper-based test) testing formats, and establishing offline testing centers in major source countries for undergraduate students studying in China, including India, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan. And the plan is to achieve full coverage of testing centers in the top 20 source countries within 2-3 years.

Starting from 2026, the test will be offered regularly, five times a year, in January, March, April, June, and December. The 2026 exam dates are: January 25 and March 15 (other sessions to be announced).
CSCA Test Dates The tests in December, April, and June will primarily cover the Asia-Pacific region, while those in January and March will focus on Europe and the Americas, to ensure that candidates in different time zones worldwide can choose suitable test dates.

When preparing the 2026/2027 admission guides for international students, all Chinese Government Scholarship universities must specify that the "Test Score Report for China Scholastic Competency Assessment" is a required application document and clearly indicate the test subjects and requirements that applicants must meet for their undergraduate programs.

Score Line:
Universities will receive test results and must use the scores as a quantitative measure of applicants' academic abilities across different countries and educational backgrounds. They may also independently set admission cut-off scores based on their specific circumstances.

IV. Registration and Fees:

Registration Time:
Registration is scheduled to open from early to late November 2025, and the specific dates and procedures will be announced on the CSCA official website (www.csca.cn).

Method:
Registration methods include online registration as the primary option, completed through the CSCA official website (www.csca.cn) with support for both Chinese and English. Some overseas test centers offer offline registration assistance for candidates in areas with limited internet or technical conditions. The specific test centers and service details will be announced separately. Documents required for registration: Photo and Valid ID.
1. How to Register
2. How to Test Speed

Test Fees:
The fee is RMB 450 for a single-subject test and RMB 700 for two or more subjects. The payment system supports major domestic and international methods, including Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, VISA, and MasterCard.

V. Results:

All CSCA subjects are scored on a 100-point scale, and the results serve as a reference for universities, which set their own admission standards based on their program requirements. Scores for online-at-home and on-site computer-based tests will be released within 7 working days after the exam, while paper-based test scores will be released within 14 working days. Universities may also view students’ relative percentile rankings among global test-takers to understand their academic standing internationally and enhance the precision of candidate selection.

VI. Preparation Tips:

1. Learn about eligibility, device and network requirements, exam environment requirements, exam rules, and exam day procedures.
Core: Windows 7 SP1 or above 64-bit genuine system is required, macOS is not supported; screen resolution should be no less than 1366×768, memory no less than 4GB; at least 2GB of free space is required in the installation partition (C drive not recommended); bandwidth should be no less than 20Mbps, and network speed no less than 500KB/s.

2. Study the above-mentioned subjects at the Chinese senior high school level to make up for potential deficiencies in certain subjects caused by differing academic standards.

3. Take CUCAS Study in China Entrance Exam Mock Test to get familiar with difficulty of Chinese universities’ tests.

CUCAS Study in China Entrance Exam Mock Test

4. Purchase some relevant reference books and materials for study and preparation(Some recommendations) or join CUCAS Online CSCA Mathematics Training Course | Join Now.

5. Study foundation program in different universities in China.

6. Prepare according to the official exam syllabus: Humanities Chinese Syllabus Download | STEM Chinese Syllabus Download | Mathematics Syllabus Download | Physics Syllabus Download | Chemistry Syllabus Download

7. CUCAS CSCA Prep Course. It offers a comprehensive suite of self-study resources for Chinese, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry—including CSCA syllabus-aligned e-books, test papers, and 55+ hours of video lectures by Chinese teachers with multilingual subtitles. Additionally, you will gain access to multilingual AI video courses (available in English, Indonesian, French, Russian, and Chinese), free mock tests, CUCAS application discounts, and end-to-end support—making it the most cost-effective solution to maximize your chances of success in the CSCA exam and your study-in-China journey! Demo>>
(Early Bird Price: Essential Package: $20 $50; Elite Package: $139 $199). Learn More>>

CUCAS CSCA Prep Course

Take the CUCAS Survey on China CSCA – We Want to Serve You Better!

VII. FAQs:

Q1: Can result of Chinese language test in CSCA replace HSK certificate?
A1: According to current info, it cannot, but it can help you to increase your chance of being accepted by the current university you are applying to with it.

Q2: How long is the validity period of CSCA test result?
A2: Valid for 2 years from the date of result issuance.

Q3: Do I need to retake the CSCA math exam that I have already taken if I change my program or university, and the new requirements include math, chemistry, and physics?
A3: If your math result is still valid, you should not need to retake the exam.

Q4: If I have taken tests for all subjects and paid 700 RMB, which is stated as the maximum fee, but later find that one subject’s result is unsatisfactory and I want to retake it, do I need to pay an additional 450 RMB?
A4: No official information has been released yet.

Q5: Do all Chinese universities require CSCA test results? Is there a list of universities in China that do not require CSCA exam results?
A5: Not all Chinese universities require the CSCA result. As of 2026, only the 307 universities listed on this page require applicants to take the CSCA test and submit the CSCA result slip when applying, and this requirement applies only to bachelor’s degree programs, regardless of whether the applicant is applying for a scholarship or is self-financed.

Q6: Is there an age limit for CSCA?
A6: No age limitation for CSCA but candidates under the age of 14 must have parental consent and assistance to complete registration.

Learn More Via Videos
1. About China CSCA
2. Registration and Key Dates

VIII. CSCA Required University List:

Below is the list of Chinese Government Scholarship universities(Check the list of Chinese universities you can apply for free on CUCAS) mentioned above. Starting from 2026, if you want to pursue a bachelor’s degree at any of these universities in China, you will be required to take the CSCA exam(Download a file to browse by location and level):

Learn More: www.campuschina.org/universities/index.html

IX. Universities Don't Require CSCA:

In fact, not all Chinese universities require the CSCA test. Universities not included in the above list can be applied to without submitting CSCA results. Currently, the CSCA test is only applicable to undergraduate programs. Therefore, even for universities on the above list, if you are applying for non-undergraduate programs such as associate degrees, non-degree programs, or master’s and doctoral programs, China does not require you to take the CSCA test. If you wish to apply to universities that do not require CSCA results, here is a list of Chinese universities do not require CSCA test(few recommendations, we will keep updating it). You can also search for other universities not included in the above list on CUCAS for application.

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