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Language papers for a CSC application: HSK report, IELTS or TOEFL, and the CSCA score report

Sources checked · Chinese Government Scholarship

Which paper you upload depends on the language the program is taught in and on the level you apply for. For a master's, doctoral, general scholar or senior scholar program taught in Chinese, the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship asks for an HSK score report. For a bachelor's program, it asks for a CSCA score report. For a program taught in another language, it refers you to the requirements of each university. These are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship as the Application Guide sets them out. They are not general admission rules for self-funded students, and what a university accepts is the university's own decision.

Which paper for which program

Program Paper Level or subject Where it is stated
Master's or doctoral, taught in Chinese HSK score report HSK Level 4 Section IV, item 10; Section VI, item 5
General scholar, taught in Chinese (excluding Chinese language majors) HSK score report HSK Level 3 Section IV, item 8; Section VI, item 5
Senior scholar, taught in Chinese HSK score report HSK Level 3 Section IV, item 9; Section VI, item 5
Bachelor's CSCA score report Test subjects for the applied major, obtained from the target institution Section IV, item 7; Section VI, item 6
Taught in a language other than Chinese Language proficiency certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports As required by each university Section IV, item 11; Section VI, item 5

Chinese-taught programs: the HSK score report

Section VI, item 5 says that applicants for master's, doctoral, general scholar, and senior scholar programs taught in Chinese "must submit a valid HSK score report that meets the corresponding Chinese language proficiency requirements." Item 5 does not print a level. The levels are in Section IV.

  • Section IV, item 8 says applicants must have "passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught general scholar program (excluding Chinese language majors)."
  • Section IV, item 9 says applicants must have "passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught senior scholar program."
  • Section IV, item 10 says applicants must have "passed the HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program."

The HSK website at chinesetest.cn describes the test in one sentence: "The Chinese Proficiency Test/HSK is an international standardized test for Chinese language proficiency organized by CTI Co., Ltd. (CTI), a specialized international Chinese language education and testing service company."

Programs taught in another language: IELTS or TOEFL

Section VI, item 5 says that applicants for programs taught in other languages "are required to provide relevant language proficiency certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university." Item 5 prints no IELTS or TOEFL score.

Section IV, item 11 says that applicants must "meet the admission requirements of the university of preference in terms of language proficiency and academic ability, among others, when applying for a program taught in a language other than Chinese."

Planning suggestion, not a rule: check the language requirements on the admission page of each university you are considering, and note the score it names.

Bachelor's applicants: the CSCA score report

Section IV, item 7 says applicants must "take the 'China Scholastic Competency Assessment (short as CSCA)' and upload a valid score report when applying for bachelor programs." The official website named in item 7 is www.csca.cn. Item 7 names no HSK level.

Section VI, item 6 says that applicants seeking a bachelor's degree "must register for and take the CSCA before the application deadline, and obtain a valid Score Report." The same item continues: "Please contact the target institution to inquire about and obtain the required test subjects for the applied major."

Item 6 does not give a date for the deadline.

Planning suggestion, not a rule: because item 6 places the test before the application deadline, look up the deadline in the current notice for the scholarship you plan to apply for, then work backwards from it to choose a test date.

Upload or submit: file formats

Neither item 5 nor item 6 names a file format. Item 7 uses the word "upload" for the CSCA score report.

Questions people ask

Do I need an HSK score report for a bachelor's program?

Item 7 names the CSCA for bachelor programs and names no HSK level. Item 5 lists master's, doctoral, general scholar and senior scholar programs taught in Chinese. It does not list bachelor's programs.

Which HSK level is required for a Chinese-taught master's program?

Section IV, item 10 says applicants must have "passed the HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program."

Which IELTS or TOEFL score do I need?

Section VI, item 5 prints no IELTS or TOEFL score. It refers to "the requirements of each university." Section IV, item 11 refers to the admission requirements of the university of preference.

Does the CSCA apply to a doctoral program?

Item 6 is written for applicants seeking to pursue a bachelor's degree. Item 7 is written for applicants applying to bachelor programs. Item 5 names no CSCA.

Do these rules apply to self-funded students?

These rules are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship, as stated in the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship. The Application Guide does not present them as general admission rules.

For the wider scholarship process, see the CSC scholarship guide and scholarships.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text differs from this page, the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case prevail.