CSCA Exam Guide 2026–27

Last updated: 6 November 2026 · Facts below follow the official CSCA announcements; always confirm your personal requirements at csca.cn and with your target university.

What is the CSCA?

The CSCA (China Scholastic Competency Assessment, 来华留学本科入学学业水平测试） is the standardised entrance test for international students applying to undergraduate programmes in China. It is organised under the China Scholarship Council. Think of it as China's counterpart to the entrance exams other countries use for international admissions: one standard, one score report, comparable across all applicants worldwide.

Who must take it?

• 2026/27 intake: all China Scholarship Council (CSC) undergraduate scholarship applicants must take the CSCA and meet score requirements.
• Already now: a growing list of universities require CSCA scores from all undergraduate applicants in their own admissions rules.
• By 2028 (official plan): the CSCA becomes compulsory for all undergraduate applicants, with minimum score thresholds.

If you plan to start a bachelor's degree in China in 2027 or 2028, assume you will need CSCA scores and prepare early.

Subjects and format

Subject	Questions	Time	Paper language	Notes
Mathematics	48	60 min	Chinese or English	Compulsory for all applicants
Physics	48	60 min	Chinese or English	For science / engineering / agriculture / medicine
Chemistry	48	60 min	Chinese or English	Programmes choose Physics or Chemistry
Academic Chinese — Humanities	80	90 min	Chinese only	For Chinese-taught humanities programmes
Academic Chinese — Science	80	90 min	Chinese only	For Chinese-taught science programmes

Every question is multiple choice. Each subject is scored out of 100, and your report also shows a global percentile. No calculators are allowed. Each sitting runs over two days: Professional Chinese and Mathematics on day one, Physics and Chemistry on day two. The exam is taken online with remote proctoring (computer plus a phone as a second camera), or at authorised test centres where available. Results are released within 10 working days.

Fees

• One subject: RMB 450
• Two or more subjects: RMB 700 in total

Exam calendar

For the 2026–27 cycle the official calendar lists six sittings:

Sitting	Exam dates	Registration
November 2026	14–15 November 2026	Closed (was 15–21 October)
December 2026	19–20 December 2026	25 November – 1 December 2026 (per university notices; confirm on csca.cn)
January 2027	23–24 January 2027	30 December 2026 – 5 January 2027
March 2027	13–14 March 2027	To be announced on csca.cn
April 2027	24–25 April 2027	To be announced on csca.cn
June 2027	26–27 June 2027	To be announced on csca.cn

Registration windows are short — about a week — and each sitting has its own notice on csca.cn. Register early: late preparation is the most common reason for a weak score.

How to prepare when there are no past papers

Official CSCA past papers are not published. Preparation therefore means three things:

• Work from the official syllabus. The published syllabus and official sample questions define the topic list and the difficulty level (roughly the Chinese high-school standard for Math, Physics and Chemistry).
• Practise under real timing. 48 questions in 60 minutes is 75 seconds per question, with no calculator. Speed and mental arithmetic are half the exam.
• Review every mistake properly. For each wrong answer you should know the correct method and why the option you picked was designed to catch you.

That is exactly what this site is built for: an original, verified question bank organised by the syllabus, timed mocks in the real format, and a step-by-step explanation for every question. Start with the free sample questions →

Your preparation checklist

• Confirm your subjects. Mathematics is compulsory; check whether your target programmes require Physics or Chemistry, and whether your programme is Chinese-taught (Academic Chinese).
• Pick a sitting and count backwards. Six sittings in the 2026–27 cycle (November, December, January, March, April, June). Most students need 6–10 weeks of steady practice.
• Take a diagnostic first. Know your weak knowledge points before you buy anything — ours is free: 6-question CSCA diagnostic.
• Practise at exam pace weekly. 75 seconds per question, no calculator, full 48-question sets as your sitting approaches.
• Review every mistake the same day. The correct method plus the reason the tempting wrong option exists — that pair is where the marks are.
• Register early on csca.cn and confirm your university's score requirements in writing.

A note on "real past paper" sellers

Because official papers are never released, any site or seller offering "real CSCA past papers" is at best selling recalled questions of unknown accuracy, and at worst inventing them. Recalled-question discussions in student communities can hint at topic weightings (for example, which Math topics appeared most), but never treat them as the exam itself.