Can a complete beginner enrol? What Order No. 42 leaves to the university
Articles 9, 11, 12 and 18 of Order No. 42 name no Chinese level for admission. Under Articles 11 and 12, the university sets its conditions and procedures in its own admissions brochure, and the school tests or assesses each applicant and decides admission. Whether a complete beginner is admitted therefore depends on that brochure and on the school's decision, not on a Chinese level named in Order No. 42.
See also Routes on this site.
What Order No. 42 says
The provisions below come from the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. The English wording is this site's own translation of the Chinese text.
- Article 9 sorts international students into degree categories (junior-college, undergraduate, master's and doctoral students) and non-degree categories (preparatory students, advanced-study students (进修生) and research scholars). Article 9 sets no Chinese level.
- Article 11 says a university formulates and publishes its international student admissions brochure in accordance with national admission rules. It admits international students under the conditions and procedures stated in that brochure.
- Article 12 says the school shall examine a foreign applicant's eligibility for admission and proof of financial guarantee, and shall test or assess the applicant. The school decides admission. A school may not admit an applicant who does not meet the admission conditions.
- Article 18 says the common national language and script of the PRC is the basic teaching language for international students. A school may provide necessary remedial conditions for an international student whose command of that language falls short of the study requirements. Article 18 sets no Chinese level.
Where a Chinese score is asked for
Two categories of the 2025 scholarship guidelines ask for an HSK test score. These guidelines are the Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). Their conditions apply to that scholarship only. They are not general admission rules for self-funded students.
| Item in the 2025 guidelines | Programme and HSK condition |
|---|---|
| Item 6, four-week study programme (starts July or December 2025; scholarship for a maximum of four weeks) | Applicants of Chinese language study, traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture, or Chinese language plus homestay with a Chinese family programme are required to provide an HSK test score. |
| Item 5, one-semester study programme (starts September 2025 or March 2026; scholarship for a maximum of five months) | Applicants of international Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, or Chinese philosophy programmes shall have a minimum score of 180 on the HSK test (Level 3), and an HSKK test score is required. |
Item 5 also covers traditional Chinese medicine and Taiji culture programmes. For those programmes, applicants are required to provide HSK test scores, and priority will be given to those who also provide an HSKK test score.
All dates above belong to the 2025 cycle, and that cycle has passed. Read the current year's guidelines before applying for any scholarship. HSK test content and structure are described on the official test site and are not covered on this site.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the PRC (moe.gov.cn)
- Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC, chinese.cn)
Checked 11 October 2026 (Order No. 42) and 10 October 2026 (CLEC guidelines).
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it 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.