Language certificates in a China application: HSK, IELTS and TOEFL in the scholarship guide
The language certificate you upload depends on the language your program is taught in and on your level. Section VI item 5 of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship asks master's, doctoral, general scholar and senior scholar applicants for programs taught in Chinese to submit a valid HSK score report. For programs taught in other languages, the same item asks for relevant certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university. These are conditions of the Chinese Government Scholarship. The Application Guide is published in English by the China Scholarship Council (Campus China).
Which certificate applies to which program
| Program | Language of instruction | Certificate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's or doctoral | Chinese | Valid HSK score report meeting the corresponding requirement | Section VI item 5; Section IV item 10 gives HSK Level 4 |
| General scholar (excluding Chinese language majors) | Chinese | Valid HSK score report meeting the corresponding requirement | Section VI item 5; Section IV item 8 gives HSK Level 3 |
| Senior scholar | Chinese | Valid HSK score report meeting the corresponding requirement | Section VI item 5; Section IV item 9 gives HSK Level 3 |
| Any program taught in a language other than Chinese | Other language | Relevant certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university | Section VI item 5; Section IV item 11 |
| Bachelor's | See the note below | See the note below | Section IV item 7; Section VI item 6 |
HSK levels for Chinese-taught programs
Section IV sets the HSK level for three kinds of Chinese-taught program. Item 8 says an applicant must "have passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught general scholar program (excluding Chinese language majors)". Item 9 says an applicant must "have passed the HSK (Level 3) when applying for a Chinese-taught senior scholar program". Item 10 says an applicant must "have passed the HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral program".
Section VI item 5 asks for a valid HSK score report that meets the corresponding requirement. The item links the report to the level in Section IV, so the level in items 8 to 10 is the one to check for your program.
Programs taught in other languages
Section VI item 5 says applicants for programs taught in other languages must provide "relevant language proficiency certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university". The words "such as" name IELTS and TOEFL as examples. Item 5 states no IELTS or TOEFL score.
Section IV item 11 applies when applying for a program taught in a language other than Chinese. It says the applicant must "meet the admission requirements of the university of preference in terms of language proficiency and academic ability, among others". Item 11 names no test and no score.
Bachelor's applicants
Section VI item 5 does not mention bachelor's applicants. The bachelor-specific condition is in Section IV item 7, which requires applicants to "take the 'China Scholastic Competency Assessment (short as CSCA)' and upload a valid score report when applying for bachelor programs". Section IV item 7 gives no HSK level for bachelor programs.
Section VI item 6 says applicants seeking to pursue a bachelor's degree "must register for and take the CSCA before the application deadline, and obtain a valid Score Report". It also says applicants should "contact the target institution to inquire about and obtain the required test subjects for the applied major".
Suggestion, not a requirement: before you choose which certificate to prepare, read the admissions brochure of the university you are applying to for its language requirement. Section VI item 5 leaves that requirement to each university.
Questions people ask
Does the scholarship guide require IELTS?
Section VI item 5 names IELTS and TOEFL score reports as examples of certificates for programs taught in other languages. Item 5 states no IELTS or TOEFL score. The required score is set by each university, under the same item.
Which language certificate do bachelor's applicants upload?
Section VI item 5 does not mention bachelor's applicants. For bachelor programs, Section IV item 7 and Section VI item 6 set the CSCA as the test and score report to upload.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship (China Scholarship Council, Campus China)
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 or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.