Is HSK required to study Chinese in China? Where a score is and is not written into the rules
Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security names no test in the three articles that cover admission and remedial study (Articles 11, 12 and 18). Section 1.2 of the 2018 Quality Standards refers to a level of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards for Chinese-taught programmes and names no HSK level. HSK scores appear in two scholarship documents, where they are conditions of those scholarships.
See also HSK on this site.
Order No. 42
The Chinese texts of Order No. 42 and the 2018 Quality Standards are quoted here in this site's English translation.
- Article 11: a higher education institution sets and publishes its own brochure for international students and admits them under the conditions and procedures in that brochure. Article 11 names no test.
- Article 12: the institution reviews applicants' eligibility and economic guarantee documents and conducts an examination or assessment of them. The institution decides admission, and it may not admit applicants who do not meet the admission conditions. Article 12 names no test.
- Article 18: the common language and script of the PRC is the basic teaching language for international students. For an international student whose level is below the study requirement, the institution may provide the necessary remedial conditions. Article 18 names no test.
Section 1.2 of the 2018 Quality Standards
Section 1.2 says that, in the entry standards for international students, the Chinese proficiency required for subjects and majors taught in Chinese shall be at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards. For subjects and majors taught in a foreign language, the institution shall set the foreign-language ability required in its entry standards.
Section 1.2 names no test and gives no HSK equivalent for that level. This page does not convert it. The standards are addressed to higher education institutions, and their title carries the word "Trial".
Scholarship conditions
The scores in this part are conditions of the scholarship named in each subsection. They are not admission rules for self-funded students.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
The 2025 guidelines of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation set these HSK and HSKK conditions by study category. All dates in these guidelines are for the 2025 cycle and have passed. Read the current year's guidelines before applying for any year.
| Item | Study category | HSK | HSKK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item 4 (one-year programme) | International Chinese language education | HSK Level 3, minimum score 270 | HSKK test score required |
| Item 4 | Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, Chinese philosophy | HSK Level 4, minimum score 180 | HSKK Intermediate Level, minimum score 60 |
| Item 4 | Chinese language study | HSK Level 3, minimum score 210 | Priority will be given to applicants who provide an HSKK score |
| Item 5 (one-semester programme) | International Chinese language education, Chinese language and literature, Chinese history, Chinese philosophy | HSK Level 3, minimum score 180 | HSKK test score required |
| Item 5 | Traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture | HSK scores required; item 5 gives no minimum | Priority will be given to applicants who also provide an HSKK score |
| Item 6 (four-week programme) | Chinese language study, traditional Chinese medicine, Taiji culture, Chinese language plus homestay | HSK score required; item 6 gives no level or minimum | Item 6 names no HSKK requirement |
Item 4 words the HSKK line for the Chinese language study group as a priority.
Chinese Government Scholarship
Items 8 to 10 of section IV of the Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship set HSK conditions:
- Item 8: HSK Level 3 for a Chinese-taught general scholar programme, excluding Chinese language majors.
- Item 9: HSK Level 3 for a Chinese-taught senior scholar programme.
- Item 10: HSK Level 4 for a Chinese-taught master's or doctoral programme.
Items 1 to 6 of section IV name no HSK. Item 7 names the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) for bachelor programmes. Item 11 covers programmes taught in a language other than Chinese. It requires applicants to meet the admission requirements of the university of preference in terms of language proficiency and academic ability, among others, and it names no test.
Questions
Does Order No. 42 name HSK for language study?
Articles 11, 12 and 18 name no test. Article 11 places the admission conditions in each institution's own brochure, and Article 12 has the institution conduct an examination or assessment of applicants.
Does the 2018 Quality Standards give an HSK level?
Section 1.2 refers to level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards for Chinese-taught subjects and majors. It names no HSK level.
Do the scholarship scores apply to every applicant?
No. The conditions in the 2025 teachers scholarship guidelines are conditions of that scholarship, and the conditions in section IV of the Chinese Government Scholarship guide are conditions of that scholarship. This page does not extend either set to other applicants.
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 Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025. Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC).
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship. China Scholarship Council (Campus China).
Checked 10 October 2026 and 11 October 2026.
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 differs from this page, the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case prevail.