Introduction
If you are planning to start a bachelor's degree at a Chinese university in 2026 or 2027, you have probably just met a new requirement: the CSCA. Short for China Scholastic Competency Assessment (来华留学本科入学学业水平测试), this test was quietly rolled out in December 2025, and it is already changing how international students get admitted to undergraduate programs across the country.
The short version: some universities now want to see a CSCA score before they admit you. The good news is the exam is simple in structure — four subjects, mostly multiple choice — and with a bit of planning, most students can sit it without much drama. This guide walks you through every step: what the CSCA tests, who has to take it, when and where the exams happen in 2026, how to register, what it costs, and how your score will actually be used.
What is the CSCA exam?
The CSCA was developed by the China Scholarship Council together with experts from Chinese universities. Its job is to give admission officers one standardized, comparable measure of an applicant's academic ability — think of it as a Chinese counterpart to the SAT or Gaokao, built specifically for international applicants.
Until now, Chinese universities judged international bachelor's applicants mostly on high school transcripts, recommendation letters, and language certificates. That system worked, but it made it hard to compare students from very different education systems. The CSCA is the answer to that problem: a uniform test that every applicant can sit, regardless of where they went to high school.
The exam itself is entirely multiple choice, which keeps the experience manageable. All four subjects are scored out of 100, and the full test can be finished in a single morning if you take the standard combination.
Who needs to take the CSCA?
Here is the honest answer: it depends on the university. The CSCA is not a blanket national exam that every single international student must pass. But the direction is clear.
From the 2026/2027 academic year onward, students applying to universities under the Chinese government scholarship system are expected to take the CSCA before submitting their application, and the score becomes part of the admission review materials. Many top universities have already adopted the CSCA for regular self-funded applicants as well.
Three practical groups to think about:
- CSC scholarship applicants — the CSCA result is effectively required. Budget for it.
- Self-funded bachelor's applicants — check your target university's latest admissions notice. More institutions add the CSCA every month.
- English-taught program applicants — you may be off the hook for the Chinese-language paper, but mathematics (and often physics or chemistry) can still apply, so read the fine print.
Some universities, especially those running foundation or preparatory programs, allow students who finish pre-university studies with a passing grade to skip the CSCA. That option varies by school, so ask the admissions office directly.
CSCA subjects and exam format
The CSCA has four subjects. One is compulsory for almost everyone, and you will usually pick a second one based on your intended major.
| Subject | Duration | Questions | Score | Language | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Chinese (Humanities) | 90 min | 80 | 100 | Chinese | Required for Chinese-taught humanities/social science majors |
| Professional Chinese (Science) | 90 min | 80 | 100 | Chinese | Required for Chinese-taught STEM majors |
| Mathematics | 60 min | 48 | 100 | Chinese or English | Compulsory |
| Physics | 60 min | 48 | 100 | Chinese or English | Elective (recommended for STEM) |
| Chemistry | 60 min | 48 | 100 | Chinese or English | Elective (recommended for STEM) |
A few details worth knowing:
- Professional Chinese comes in two flavors — humanities and science. You choose the one that matches your degree. The papers use academic Chinese, so everyday HSK fluency is not quite enough; you need subject vocabulary.
- If you are applying to a Chinese-language humanities program (like Chinese language and literature) and hold a valid HSK 4 certificate, some universities let you skip the Professional Chinese paper. Confirm with your school before assuming this applies.
- If your program is taught fully in English, you generally do not sit Professional Chinese at all.
- For science, technology, agriculture, and medicine majors, universities expect you to take at least one of Physics or Chemistry alongside Mathematics. Taking both strengthens your profile.
The whole thing is computer-based in most cases, though paper-based sessions exist too. Do not worry about handwriting essays or solving long written problems — everything is multiple choice.
CSCA 2026 exam dates and locations
The first global CSCA session was held on December 21, 2025. From 2026 onward, the exam runs five times a year, with regional scheduling:
| Month | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | Europe & Americas | Online / paper |
| March | Europe & Americas | Online / paper |
| April | Asia-Pacific | Online / paper |
| June | Asia-Pacific | Online / paper |
| December | Asia-Pacific | First 2025 session; continues yearly |
For 2025's debut, in-person test centers were set up in Vietnam and Thailand, with remote proctored testing available everywhere else. The plan is to expand physical centers steadily, but right now most candidates take the CSCA online from home under remote supervision.
Timing matters. A December exam in the Asia-Pacific slot fits neatly into an application cycle that closes in early spring. If you are applying for the fall 2026 intake, a session in December 2025 or April 2026 is your sweet spot. For fall 2027, aim for December 2026 or early 2027.
How to register for the CSCA
Registration happens through the official CSCA platform. The process takes about fifteen minutes once you have everything ready:
- Create an account on the CSCA registration portal with your email.
- Fill in your personal details — name exactly as it appears on your passport, date of birth, nationality.
- Upload a recent photo that meets the ID-photo requirements (white background, no glasses glare).
- Select your subjects — usually Mathematics plus one or two others.
- Pick a session — date and mode (online at home, or a test center if one is near you).
- Pay the fee with a credit or debit card.
- Receive confirmation — a few days before the exam you will get your login or test-center instructions.
Registration windows open roughly six weeks before each exam date, and slots for popular sessions fill up, especially the December one. Set a calendar reminder and register early rather than late.
CSCA exam fees
Pricing is straightforward:
| Number of subjects | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 subject | 450 RMB |
| 2 or more subjects | 700 RMB |
If you are taking the standard three papers (Professional Chinese, Mathematics, plus Physics or Chemistry), the flat 700 RMB rate applies. That is roughly $95–100 USD, depending on the exchange rate — modest compared to tests like the SAT or IELTS.
How CSCA scores affect university admissions
Your CSCA score does not pass or fail you on its own; universities set their own thresholds and weigh the result alongside transcripts and language certificates. Still, a strong score helps in concrete ways:
- Scholarship competitiveness — CSC scholarship quotas are limited, and a high score can be the tiebreaker between two otherwise similar applicants.
- Admission thresholds — several universities now publish minimum CSCA scores per faculty. Check each school's notice; requirements differ by major.
- Foundation waivers — some preparatory programs exempt students who achieve a certain CSCA score from the standard first-year foundation year.
One practical note: a handful of universities let you submit your application first and provide the CSCA score later, as long as the result arrives before a stated deadline. Northwest Polytechnical University, for example, set a May 2026 cutoff for supplementary scores during its 2026 cycle. Treat this as the exception, not the rule — sitting the exam early keeps every door open.
How to prepare for the CSCA
Preparation strategy depends on which subjects you need. The mathematics paper is the great equalizer: its syllabus overlaps heavily with high school math worldwide, so most students just need to refresh algebra, geometry, and basic calculus and do a few timed practice runs.
For Professional Chinese, the gap between HSK and academic Chinese is real. Past-test vocabulary and sample questions are the fastest way to close it. Practicing with real exam-style questions beats generic Chinese classes here.
A workable three-week plan:
- Week 1 — take one full diagnostic test to see where you stand in each subject.
- Week 2 — drill your weakest areas: math word problems, physics formulas, chemistry terminology, or academic Chinese reading.
- Week 3 — do two or three timed full-paper runs, review every mistake, and stabilize your pace.
If you are short on time, professional CSCA coaching can compress that timeline considerably. A good coach supplies exam-specific materials, marks your practice papers, and keeps you honest about weak spots — which makes a real difference for the Professional Chinese paper.