CSCA vs HSK vs Gaokao: Which Exam Do International Students Need?

CSCA vs HSK vs Gaokao at a glance

• CSCA — China Scholastic Competency Assessment: measures the academic preparation of international applicants to Chinese undergraduate programs. Mathematics is the common foundation; Physics, Chemistry and Professional Chinese depend on the application route and university requirements. The organizer is the China Scholarship Council.
• HSK — Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi: measures the ability of non-native speakers to use Chinese in daily life, study and work. Universities use its score as language evidence for some Chinese-taught programs; it is not a Mathematics or science entrance paper.
• Gaokao — China's National College Entrance Examination: part of the country's domestic university-admissions system. It is a distinct exam route; an international applicant should follow the target university's international-admissions instructions instead of assuming Gaokao rules apply.

These descriptions come from the official CSCA exam introduction, HSK's official test introduction, and the Chinese Ministry of Education's description of Gaokao. They describe the exams' purposes; they do not override a university's current admissions notice.

What does CSCA test?

The CSCA organizer says the assessment was developed for international students planning to earn a bachelor's degree in China. It helps universities evaluate academic and language preparation alongside the rest of an application. Its papers are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Professional Chinese (Humanities or STEM). Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry each have 48 single-choice questions in 60 minutes and can be taken in Chinese or English. Professional Chinese has 80 objective questions in 90 minutes and is in Chinese. Each paper is scored from 0 to 100.

Do not book every paper automatically. The organizer's general guidance distinguishes Chinese Government Scholarship bachelor applicants from non-scholarship applicants, while universities publish the subjects accepted for individual majors and languages of instruction. For example, the China University of Petroleum (Beijing) 2026 subject list specifies English-language Mathematics plus Physics or Chemistry for several English-taught majors, and exempts those applicants from Professional Chinese. Read the current list for your own program before registering. Our CSCA subjects by major guide explains how to do that.

What does HSK prove?

The official Chinese Test Service describes HSK as a standardized test of Chinese-language proficiency for people whose first language is not Chinese. It assesses language use in everyday, academic and professional settings. A university can require a particular HSK result to show that you can study in a Chinese-taught program. That language proof is a separate question from whether it requires a CSCA score report.

One real admissions example is Chang'an University's 2026–27 scholarship notice: it asks bachelor's applicants to provide CSCA results and separately sets HSK requirements for Chinese-medium programs. The HSK level and score in that notice belong to that specific university and intake; do not copy them into another application. Some universities or majors publish exemptions. The China University of Mining and Technology's CSCA page, for instance, describes a Professional Chinese exemption for certain Chinese-language applicants with a valid HSK Level 4 score. Such an exemption is specific, not a general rule that HSK replaces CSCA.

Where does Gaokao fit?

The Chinese Ministry of Education calls Gaokao the National College Entrance Examination and discusses it within China's college enrollment system. CSCA was created for the international undergraduate application route. That difference does not mean every applicant with a foreign passport has the same rule: citizenship, prior schooling and a university's admissions category can affect the route. If your situation is unusual, ask the university's international admissions office which examination and application category it accepts.

Which exam should you prepare for? A four-step check

Three applicant examples

1. English-taught engineering bachelor: an example university may ask for CSCA Mathematics in English and Physics or Chemistry in English, without Professional Chinese. CUPB publishes exactly such subject combinations for some English-taught majors. Your university may differ.
2. Chinese-taught bachelor: you may need CSCA papers in Chinese and separate HSK language proof. Look for both requirements in the same admissions notice; one score should not be assumed to replace the other.
3. International master's or doctoral applicant: CSCA is an undergraduate assessment. Check the graduate program's academic, language and scholarship requirements instead of registering for CSCA on the strength of a general search result.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating an HSK score as proof that all CSCA papers are waived. A language certificate and an academic assessment serve different purposes; exceptions must appear in the university's rules.
• Assuming Professional Chinese is required for every English-taught course, or waived in every scholarship case. Published general guidance and university-specific exemptions can differ; use the current major's list.
• Using a Gaokao preparation guide to choose CSCA topics. The exams serve different admissions routes. Start with the official CSCA exam introduction and the subject syllabus guides.
• Relying on an old intake's HSK score threshold, CSCA subject list or deadline. Recheck the notice for your admission year before paying or submitting.

Frequently asked questions

Can HSK replace CSCA?

Usually these are different requirements: HSK demonstrates Chinese ability, while CSCA tests academic preparation for international bachelor admission. A particular program can publish an exemption from a particular CSCA paper for an HSK holder, as CUMT does for some Chinese-language applicants. That is not a universal waiver of the whole CSCA.

Do English-taught bachelor applicants need HSK?

Many English-taught programs ask for English-language evidence instead of HSK, but check the exact admissions guide. They may still require a CSCA Mathematics or science paper. The CUPB subject list gives a concrete English-taught example.

Do international students take Gaokao?

An applicant using a university's international undergraduate route should follow that route's CSCA and language requirements. Do not substitute a Gaokao score without written confirmation from the university that it accepts it for your applicant category.