A language year before a degree: preparatory students and the scholarship's Chinese year
A language or preparatory year is a programme in which a Chinese university teaches Chinese and basic subject knowledge to international students, so they can reach undergraduate entry standard. Article 9 of Order No. 42 lists preparatory students as a non-degree category, and section 3 of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) describes what that education is for. The one-year length of Chinese language study appears only in the Chinese Government Scholarship guide, as part of that scholarship. See also Routes on this site.
This page is an unofficial guide. The Chinese texts are quoted here in this site's own English translation.
Preparatory students as a non-degree category
Article 9 of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security) sorts international students into two groups. The degree categories are junior college students, undergraduate students, master's students and doctoral students. The non-degree categories are preparatory students (预科生), advanced study students (进修生) and research scholars.
Article 9 places preparatory students under non-degree education. Article 9 sets no Chinese language level for any category.
What preparatory education is for
Section 3 of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), issued by Ministry of Education notice 教外〔2018〕50号, is addressed to universities. It says that universities may open preparatory programmes and admit international students who meet appropriate standards. The programmes teach Chinese and basic subject knowledge, so that students reach undergraduate entry standard and adapt to life and study in China. A preparatory programme shall meet the requirements of the corresponding education and teaching standards.
Section 3 names no test and gives no score.
Remedial Chinese under Article 18
Article 18 of Order No. 42 states that the common national language and script is the basic teaching language for international students in universities. For students whose command of it does not meet the study requirements, a university may provide the necessary remedial study conditions.
Article 18 describes remedial study. It does not describe a preparatory programme and gives no length.
The scholarship's one-year Chinese language study
Section II, item (II), of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship states that the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. The language courses last one year. The duration of the major study is as the scholarship requires.
The one-year length in this item belongs to the scholarship. It is not a length set by Order No. 42 or by the Quality Standards. Section II, item (III), refers readers to the Campus China website for the designated universities and their majors. This page does not list them.
The guide page shows no publication date. Check the guide for the current year before you apply.
The three texts side by side
| Document | Provision | What it says about Chinese or preparatory study |
|---|---|---|
| Order No. 42 | Article 9 | Preparatory students are listed under non-degree education. |
| Order No. 42 | Article 18 | A university may provide remedial study conditions for students whose Chinese does not meet the study requirement. |
| Quality Standards (notice 教外〔2018〕50号) | Section 3 | A university may open preparatory programmes that teach Chinese and basic subject knowledge. |
| Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship | Section II, item (II) | The scholarship's Chinese language (preparatory) study lasts one year. |
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice and is not published by the bodies named. If the official text or the instructions of the body handling your case differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.