Complete Guide to the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) ｜ New Admission Requirement for Studying in China from 2026

1. CSCA Overview & Timeline

The China Standardized Competence Assessment (CSCA) represents a unified evaluation framework designed specifically for international students applying to undergraduate programs at Chinese universities. This standardized testing system aims to provide Chinese institutions with consistent academic ability assessments, ensuring prospective international undergraduate students possess adequate academic foundations.

2. Exam Difficulty & Scope

Official difficulty standards have not yet been publicly released. To help candidates better understand exam requirements, it's recommended to review previous entrance examination materials from Chinese universities for international undergraduate students. Additionally, candidates can participate in mock tests to familiarize themselves with the question types and difficulty levels typical of Chinese standardized examinations.

3. Student Feedback & Experience

Based on feedback from students who have already taken the test, we've compiled the following key insights:

4. December 2025 First Global Exam Details

Examination Format

The inaugural examination will primarily utilize online proctored testing from home, with the establishment of initial offline testing centers in Vietnam and Thailand offering centralized computer-based or paper-based options.

Subject Structure

CSCA encompasses four subject areas: Professional Chinese, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Language Options

Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry are all available in both Chinese and English versions. Applicants may select the appropriate language based on their intended program's medium of instruction.

Exam Schedule

5. 2026 Onwards: Regular Testing Schedule

Enhanced Testing Format

Beginning in 2026, CSCA will implement a hybrid approach combining online and offline testing. Offline testing centers will be progressively established in major source countries including India, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan. The plan targets complete coverage of the top 20 source countries within 2-3 years.

Annual Testing Frequency

From 2026, CSCA will offer regular testing services with five annual examination sessions scheduled in:

• January (primarily for European and American candidates)
• March (primarily for European and American candidates)
• April (primarily for Asia-Pacific candidates)
• June (primarily for Asia-Pacific candidates)
• December (primarily for Asia-Pacific candidates)

This arrangement ensures candidates across different global time zones can select convenient testing dates. Specific examination schedules will be published on the official website (expected to launch in October 2025: www.csca.cn).

University Requirements

All CSC Scholarship universities must explicitly include "CSCA Score Report" as mandatory application documentation when preparing their 2026/2027 international student recruitment prospectuses, specifying required test subjects and related requirements for their undergraduate programs.

Score Thresholds

Universities will receive student examination results and must utilize test scores as quantitative standards for evaluating undergraduate applicants from diverse countries and educational backgrounds. Institutions may independently establish admission cutoff scores based on their specific circumstances.

6. Registration Process & Fees

Registration Period

Registration for the initial examination is preliminarily scheduled for early to late November 2025. Specific dates and detailed procedures will be announced on the CSCA official website (www.csca.cn).

Registration Method

Online registration serves as the primary method, accessible through the CSCA official website (www.csca.cn) with bilingual Chinese-English support. Select overseas partner testing centers will provide offline registration assistance for candidates with limited internet or technical access; specific centers and service details will be separately announced.

Examination Fees

The registration payment system supports multiple mainstream domestic and international payment methods, including Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, and international credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, etc.).

7. Score Release & Evaluation System

Scoring Method

All CSCA subjects utilize a 100-point scoring scale. Scores serve as important reference criteria for university admissions, with institutions independently establishing admission standards based on program requirements.

Score Release Timeline

• Online Proctored and Offline Computer-based Tests: Results released within 7 business days after examination
• Paper-based Tests: Results released within 14 business days after examination

Score Analysis

Beyond numerical scores, universities can access students' relative percentile rankings among global test-takers, enabling understanding of applicants' international academic positioning and enhancing selection precision.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

9. Complete List of CSC Scholarship Universities

Below is the comprehensive list of Chinese Government Scholarship universities. From 2026, students applying to undergraduate programs at these institutions must complete the CSCA examination:

The complete list includes top-tier institutions such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, and extends to specialized universities covering comprehensive research universities, normal universities, universities of science and technology, agricultural universities, medical universities, foreign language universities, fine arts academies, and more across all provinces and regions of China.

For the detailed list of all 306 universities with their English and Chinese names, please refer to the official CSCA website or contact our admissions consultants for personalized guidance.