What is the CSCA? The 2026 guide for international applicants

The CSCA — China Scholastic Competency Assessment — is the standardised entrance exam for international students applying to undergraduate programmes at Chinese universities. If you are applying as a non-Chinese passport holder, a growing list of universities now asks for a CSCA score alongside your school transcripts.

Which subjects does it cover?

Four subjects, taken separately: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Chinese. Most STEM programmes ask for Mathematics plus one science; Chinese-taught programmes add the Chinese exam. Your target universities decide which combination they want, so check each programme page before you book anything.

The exam format, exactly

We maintain a bank built from official past papers, so the numbers below are measured, not guessed:

• Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry: 48 single-choice questions, 60 minutes, computer-based. Four options, one correct answer, no penalty for wrong answers — never leave a question blank.
• Chinese: a longer paper (90 minutes) that tests reading, vocabulary in context, and character knowledge, including question groups that share one option pool.
• STEM subjects are offered in English; the content is drawn from the Chinese high-school curriculum, which is the single most important thing to understand about this exam.

Why "drawn from the Chinese curriculum" matters

The CSCA is not a translated SAT. Its questions follow the style, notation and topic emphasis of Chinese high-school teaching. Students from other systems usually find the algebra manipulation heavier, the geometry more classical, and the chemistry more descriptive than they expect. Working through real past papers early is the fastest way to close that gap.

How universities use the score

Universities publish their own cut-offs per programme and update them by intake. Competitive programmes at top universities expect high scores across two or three subjects; many mid-tier programmes ask for a pass-level score as a filter. Treat the score requirement on your target programme's admission page as the source of truth.

How to start preparing

1. Sit one official past paper under real timing to find your baseline — take one free.
2. Drill your weak topics in a filtered question bank with worked solutions.
3. In the final weeks, switch to full-length timed mock sets so exam day feels routine.

Everything in step 1 and 2 is free on CSCA Start, including full worked solutions for every question.