CSCA Exam Guide: Subjects, 2026/27 Test Dates, Registration and Preparation

The CSCA (China Scholastic Competency Assessment) is the China Scholarship Council's test for international applicants to bachelor's programmes in mainland China. From the 2026/27 intake, a CSCA score is required to apply for a bachelor's degree at universities in the Chinese Government Scholarship programme and for every applicant to that scholarship. Mathematics is compulsory for everyone, Professional Chinese is required for Chinese-taught programmes, and physics or chemistry depends on the major. One subject costs $67 (CNY 450); two or more subjects in one order cost $100 (CNY 700). Six sessions are scheduled up to June 2027, the next on 14–15 November 2026, and outside China most candidates sit the test at home under live remote proctoring.

This guide explains who needs the test, how to choose subjects, which session fits a September 2027 start, how registration and the home-test checks work, and how to plan preparation. If you are still deciding on the level of study, start with our overview of bachelor's degrees in China and our study in China page.

CSCA at a glance

There is no limit on attempts, and each attempt is paid separately. Universities usually accept your best valid score, but that is their decision, not the test organiser's.

Who must take the CSCA

The CSC rule is brief: from 2026/27, everyone applying to a bachelor's programme at a Chinese Government Scholarship university must take the CSCA before applying. That list covers most universities that international applicants consider. What you actually sit depends on where you apply and in which language you will study.

University practice varies:

• Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) required the CSCA from every 2026 bachelor's applicant and published subject requirements for each major.
• Harbin Engineering University asks engineering applicants for Mathematics and Physics, and arts and management applicants for Chinese and Mathematics.
• Sun Yat-sen University accepted, for 2026 entry, scores from sessions held by 1 March (first round) and by 1 May (second round).
• Tsinghua University's 2027 eligibility rules list the CSCA as one possible proof of academic level alongside SAT, ACT, A-Level and IB rather than as a mandatory document.

The programme's own list always overrides general advice. A chemistry score will not replace physics if an engineering major asks for physics.

Choosing subjects by major

Two decisions drive the choice: the language of instruction and the subject group of your major.

Choose the language of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry to match the teaching language. Where a university sets no rule, the CSCA lets you decide. Applicants with strong school mathematics but limited Chinese usually find it easier to take the science subjects in English and prepare Chinese separately.

The Shanghai government's CSCA FAQ adds a general rule: science, engineering, agriculture and medicine applicants need at least one of Physics or Chemistry. Within that group, the university decides.

Test sessions, November 2026 to June 2027

The CSCA published this timetable on 24 September 2026. Each session runs over two days: Professional Chinese and Mathematics on day one, Physics and Chemistry on day two. Registration for the November session opens in mid-October 2026.

In afternoon sessions, Professional Chinese runs 14:00–15:30 Beijing time and Mathematics 17:00–18:00; the next day Physics runs 14:00–15:00 and Chemistry 16:30–17:30. In December and June everything moves to the morning: Chinese at 08:00, Mathematics at 11:00, Physics at 08:00 and Chemistry at 10:30. For candidates in Europe or Central Asia that can mean logging in before dawn, because the system opens an hour before the start. Convert the times to your own zone before you pay.

Which session works for September 2027 entry

Results arrive within 10 working days, so plan backwards from the earliest deadline on your list. Tsinghua's dates below are already for 2027 entry; the other universities show the previous (2026 entry) cycle:

A sensible plan is to sit every subject in November or January and keep March and April for a retake. Universities publish 2027 deadlines during the autumn, so confirm them on the programme page.

Registering on csca.cn

1. Create an account with a personal email address you will keep for years. One email, one candidate; the CSCA advises against school or work addresses.
2. Complete the form exactly as in your passport. The passport is the only accepted ID and must be valid on test day, so renew it first if it is close to expiry.
3. Upload a photo taken within six months: 33 × 48 mm, JPG, 40–200 KB. It is used for face matching on test day, and an unsuitable photo can cost you the attempt.
4. Choose the session, subjects and the language for each science subject. You cannot change subjects or dates after payment; you can only cancel the whole order.
5. Pay in Chinese yuan by Visa or Mastercard issued outside mainland China, WeChat Pay or Alipay. If you have no eligible card or account, the CSCA payment rules tell you to contact the CSCA team. Cards issued by Russian banks do not work abroad; legal payment routes from Russia are covered in our guide to paying for studies abroad from Russia.
6. Wait for the confirmation email: registration is complete only when it arrives.
7. Download the Admission Ticket when the window opens and check every detail against your passport. Once the ticket is generated, the data are locked.

Candidates under 18 need a legal guardian's electronic consent at registration.

Refund rules are strict. Before the Admission Ticket is generated you can cancel and receive the full fee minus charges, but cancellation covers every subject in the order. After that point, refunds are possible only for force majeure, such as serious illness or a natural disaster, with a request filed within seven working days of the test date. Fees are settled in yuan, and exchange-rate differences are the candidate's cost.

The home-based test: what to check in advance

Home-based remote proctoring is the CSCA's main format. The registration page describes the test-centre option as currently available only in mainland China, and home testing is allowed only where no centre exists, so if you are already studying in China you should expect a centre. Official centres are announced only on csca.cn.

You need two devices and a suitable room:

• A Windows 10 or 11 computer (Windows 7 SP1 is also accepted), genuine 64-bit system. macOS is not supported. One screen and no external monitor; no virtual machines, remote desktop or cloud PCs. Virtualisation features such as Hyper-V, WSL and Windows Sandbox must be switched off, and the CSCA warns that some Surface models may not run the test software. At least 1366 × 768 resolution, 4 GB RAM, 2 GB free space, a 720p webcam above the screen, and mains power throughout.
• A phone or tablet on a stand, placed behind you at about 45 degrees so that it shows you, the screen and your hands.
• An internet connection of at least 20 Mbps in both directions, wired if possible, plus a mobile hotspot as backup. The connection must be direct: tools that change or hide your IP address are prohibited.
• A closed, quiet room with nobody else present. The desk goes into a corner against two walls, and you sit facing the wall. Scratch work goes on a small whiteboard or a blank sheet in a clear plastic sleeve with an erasable marker, wiped on camera at the end.

Before test day you must complete the equipment check in the scheduled window and at least one proctored mock test. Skipping either can prevent you from sitting the exam, and the fee is not refunded. On test day the system opens 60 minutes before the start. Every check, including face verification, must be finished in advance: different CSCA documents give a margin of five or 15 minutes before the start, so plan for 15.

Misconduct penalties range from cancelling a subject score to a two-year registration ban, cancellation of all previous scores and notification of the universities that received them. In the most serious cases the CSCA bars the candidate permanently.

Results and how universities use them

Scores appear in your csca.cn account within 10 working days of the session. The report shows a 0–100 score and a percentile rank, meaning the share of candidates in that subject and session who scored at or below you. Other possible statuses are Absent, Invalid, Pending and Cancelled at the candidate's request.

There is no national pass mark. The CSC states that universities set their own criteria for each programme, so online claims that "60 points is enough" have no official basis. A strong Mathematics score helps with both admission and scholarship ranking, but universities read it together with your school record, language certificate, study plan and interview.

A 3–6 month preparation plan

Syllabi and vocabulary lists for every subject are published on csca.cn: Humanities and STEM versions for Professional Chinese, and Chinese and English versions for Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, alongside sample questions. The CSCA has also stated that it has no training partners and publishes no "real papers", so treat claims of official preparation as advertising.

Graduates of strong secondary maths programmes usually know the content; the hard parts are speed, wording in English or Chinese, and terminology. If you take Mathematics in Chinese, learn the subject vocabulary list separately. Professional Chinese tests reading of academic texts and does not replace the HSK when a university asks for both; see our HSK exam guide.

Common mistakes

• Taking the wrong Chinese paper. Humanities and STEM Chinese are separate subjects, and the major decides which one you need.
• Taking a subject in the wrong language when the programme specifies Chinese.
• Relying on the June session for a July deadline, which leaves no time for a retake.
• Splitting subjects across orders. Two or more subjects in one order cost $100 (CNY 700); separately they cost $67 (CNY 450) each.
• Planning to test on a MacBook. macOS is not supported.
• Misspelling your name. Data cannot be corrected after the ticket is issued, and a mismatch with the passport means no entry.
• Treating the CSCA as a language certificate. Most universities want the CSCA plus HSK or IELTS; our guide to applying to Chinese universities lists the full document set.

If you lack time or Chinese

The CSCA is only one filter. Without Chinese, you have three routes: an English-taught degree (CSCA without Chinese), a foundation year combining language and subjects, or a language course followed by entry a year later. Compare them in our guides to the foundation year in China and English-taught degrees in China. School leavers will find the full route in our guide to studying in China after 11 years of school.

University and CSCA subject selection, a dated preparation plan and application support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Registration, admission tickets and scores are decided by the test organiser; admission and scholarships are decided by the university and the China Scholarship Council.

FAQ

Sources

• CSCA: exam introduction — subjects, question counts, duration, formats, fees of $67 (CNY 450) and $100 (CNY 700) — checked 30.09.2026
• CSCA: November 2026 – June 2027 test schedule and result release (announcement of 24.09.2026) — checked 30.09.2026
• CSCA: registration rules, FAQs, home-based test requirements, cancellation and refund policy — checked 30.09.2026
• Chinese Embassy in Mongolia: notice about the CSCA — checked 30.09.2026
• Shanghai Municipal Government: CSCA FAQs, Chinese waivers, physics and chemistry by field — checked 30.09.2026
• HIT: 2026 bachelor's admission, Harbin Engineering University: 2026 bachelor's admission, Sun Yat-sen University: 2026 bachelor's guide — checked 30.09.2026
• Tsinghua: eligibility and 2027 schedule — checked 30.09.2026
• GDUFS: autumn 2026 international admission and Northeast Forestry University: 2026 bachelor's admission — checked 30.09.2026
• US dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 29.09.2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1355 = CNY 7.6117; CNY 1 ≈ USD 0.1492), rounded to the dollar under $100 and to $10 above.

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