HSK for study in China

The Chinese level that national rules and scholarship guides state for each kind of study, and where to check a university's own requirement.

Sources checked 11 October 2026

Chinese level by study goal

Goal	What the document says
Bachelor's degree taught in Chinese	Entry standard set by the national norm For subjects taught in Chinese, a university's entry standard must ask for at least Level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese) Level expected at graduation Level 5 of the same Standards.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese) Chinese Government Scholarship, bachelor's applicants Must take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) and upload a valid score report. The guide names no HSK level for bachelor's applicants.Campus China (China Scholarship Council) — Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship
Master's or doctoral degree taught in Chinese	Chinese Government Scholarship Applicants must have passed HSK (Level 4) when applying for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral programme, and submit a valid HSK score report.Campus China (China Scholarship Council) — Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship Entry standard set by the national norm At least Level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards for subjects taught in Chinese; Level 5 by graduation.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese)
Bachelor's degree taught in English	Chinese level expected at graduation For subjects taught in a foreign language, bachelor's students should reach at least Level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards by graduation.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese) Chinese level at entry The norm sets no Chinese level for entry to these subjects. It tells each university to state the foreign-language requirement in its own entry standard.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese)
Master's or doctoral degree taught in English	Chinese level expected at graduation Master's and doctoral students in subjects taught in a foreign language should reach at least Level 3 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards by graduation.Ministry of Education of China — Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Jiaowai [2018] No. 50 (in Chinese) Chinese Government Scholarship For programmes taught in a language other than Chinese, applicants meet the language requirement of the university they apply to, for example an IELTS or TOEFL score.Campus China (China Scholarship Council) — Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship
Language study or a non-degree year	Chinese Government Scholarship, general scholar HSK (Level 3) passed when applying for a Chinese-taught general scholar programme. Chinese language majors are excluded from this rule.Campus China (China Scholarship Council) — Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship Teachers scholarship, one-year Chinese language study At least 210 on HSK Level 3 (2025 guidelines).Center for Language Education and Cooperation — Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (PDF) Teachers scholarship, one-semester study At least 180 on HSK Level 3 plus an HSKK score for international Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history or Chinese philosophy (2025 guidelines).Center for Language Education and Cooperation — Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (PDF)
Degree under the Chinese language teachers scholarship	Bachelor's degree At least 210 on HSK Level 4 and 60 on HSKK Intermediate.Center for Language Education and Cooperation — Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (PDF) Master's degree At least 210 on HSK Level 5 and 60 on HSKK Intermediate.Center for Language Education and Cooperation — Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (PDF) Doctoral degree At least 200 on HSK Level 6 and 60 on HSKK Advanced.Center for Language Education and Cooperation — Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025 (PDF)
Work or a personal goal	What the test body says The test body lists employee recruiting, training and advancement among the uses of HSK scores. It names no level for work: each employer decides which level and score it accepts.Chinese Tests Service Website (chinesetest.cn) — HSK

The national norm names the International Chinese Proficiency Standards, not the HSK test. The HSK level and score a university accepts are written in its own admission brochure.

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Guides in this section

Which HSK level do you need to study in China? What the official documents state

National rules set a floor for Chinese-taught degrees, and the Chinese Government Scholarship names HSK 4 or HSK 3 by programme type. The exact level and score are in each university's brochure.
Read the guide: Which HSK level do you need to study in China? What the official documents state

HSK for study in China

Chinese level by study goal

Guides in this section

Which HSK level do you need to study in China? What the official documents state

Official sources

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