The China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) is a standardized academic test for international students who want to study for a bachelor's degree in China. It is organized by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and was developed together with experts from Chinese universities. It measures academic readiness and language ability, and Chinese universities use the results in admission and scholarship decisions.

International applicants to undergraduate (bachelor's) programs in China.
The requirement began with the 2026/2027 academic year: applicants must take the CSCA before submitting their university application.
It is especially important for Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) applicants and for the many universities that now ask for a CSCA score report.
Each university and major sets its own required subjects and minimum expectations, so always check with your chosen institution.

Subject Details

Professional Chinese Two versions: Humanities Chinese and STEM Chinese. Required mainly for applicants to Chinese-taught programs. Available in Chinese only.
Mathematics Required for most applicants. Available in Chinese or English.
Physics Depends on your major. Available in Chinese or English.
Chemistry Depends on your major. Available in Chinese or English.
You may take one or more subjects in the same session.
Choose the exam language (Chinese or English) according to what your target university requires.
Official syllabi (考试大纲) for each subject are published on csca.cn

The exam is mainly online and taken at home with remote proctoring.
Some countries also have offline test centers (computer-based or paper-based).
Sessions start at the same moment worldwide. Sessions in December, April and June suit candidates in the Asia-Pacific region better; sessions in January and March suit candidates in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Since 2026 the CSCA is held about five times a year (January, March, April, June and December).

Session Status
December 21, 2025 First global exam. Completed.
January 25, 2026 Completed.
March 15, 2026 Completed (as listed by exam-prep sites; verify).
April 25, 2026 Completed. Registration ran April 1 – April 9, 2026 (12:00 noon, Beijing time).
June 27, 2026 Completed.
December 2026 Expected, exact date not confirmed at the time of writing. Check csca.cn.

Registration windows are short (about one week for the April and June 2026 sessions) and late registration is generally not available, so check the portal early.

Create an account on the official website, csca.cn (use your name exactly as it appears in your passport).
Verify your email and complete your profile.
Choose your intended program language and major direction so the correct subject options appear.
Select your subjects and a test session.
Pay the exam fee online.

Fees: ¥450 for one subject, ¥700 for two or more subjects. Payment methods: Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard are reported as accepted.

Online and offline computer-based exams: scores within about 7 working days.
Paper-based exams: scores within about 14 working days.
Results are published on the official portal.

Aug–Oct 2025: China announces the CSCA as a unified admission standard for international undergraduates.
Oct 2025: Official details released; requirement announced for the 2026 intake.
Dec 21, 2025: First CSCA held.
2026: Regular sessions five times per year; official syllabi released.
By 2028 (reported): Planned to be required for all international undergraduate applicants. Third-party sources report this, so confirm on official channels.

Download the official syllabus for each subject from csca.cn and study against it.
Check your target universities' requirements first, then choose your subjects.
If you need Chinese, start early. Professional Chinese is the only subject not offered in English.
Leave time for a retake before your application deadline.
Test your device, camera, microphone and internet connection in the pre-exam check period.
On exam day the system opens about 1 hour before the session; complete check-in steps about 5 minutes before the start time.

Official website and registration portal: https://csca.cn
Be careful with unofficial websites that ask for payment or personal data.
Universities designated as test sites (306 reported by AL-HAMDANI): ask your university or a consultant for the current list.