HSK Exam Guide A language year in China: where an HSK score is asked for and where it is not
An HSK score is asked for in two official scholarship documents, each with its own thresholds. It is not set by one fixed rule for a course you pay for yourself: the university's own notice decides. The two documents below keep their rules apart.
Chinese Government Scholarship
The Chinese Government Scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. The language courses last one year.
For a Chinese-taught general scholar program (excluding Chinese language majors), the applicant must have passed HSK (Level 3). The eligibility row for this program names no HSK score; it requires having passed the test.
For a Chinese-taught senior scholar program, the applicant must have passed HSK (Level 3).
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
The Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 set HSK and HSKK thresholds by program.
| Program | Commenced | Length | HSK | HSKK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Year Study — international Chinese language education | September 2025 | up to 11 months | minimum score of 270 on the HSK test (Level 3) | HSKK test score is required |
| One-Year Study — Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy | September 2025 | up to 11 months | minimum score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 4) | 60 on the HSKK test (Intermediate Level) |
| One-Year Study — Chinese language study | September 2025 | up to 11 months | minimum score of 210 on the HSK test (Level 3) | priority will be given to applicants who provide an HSKK test score |
| One-Semester Study — international Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy | September 2025 or March 2026 | up to 5 months | minimum score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 3) | HSKK test score is required |
| One-Semester Study — traditional Chinese medicine or Taiji culture | September 2025 or March 2026 | up to 5 months | HSK test scores required | priority will be given to those who also provide an HSKK test score |
| Four-Week Study — Chinese language study, traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture, or Chinese language plus homestay with a Chinese family | July or December 2025 | up to 4 weeks | HSK test score required | — |
| Online One-Year Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | — | under most circumstances, a score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 3) is required | priority will be given to those who also provide an HSKK test score |
| Online One-Semester Chinese Language Study | September or March each year | — | under most circumstances, an HSK test score (regardless of level or score) is required | — |
A course you pay for yourself
For a self-funded language course, the university's own notice decides whether an HSK score is needed. Ask the university for its requirement.
Sources
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by Chinese Testing International, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation or the Ministry of Education, and the official page prevails if they differ.