Indonesian Students Adapt to CSCA as New Requirement for Undergraduate Studies in China

For some Indonesian students planning to pursue undergraduate studies in China, preparation is no longer solely about report cards, language skills, university choices, and registration documents. They must now also become familiar with a new stage: the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA). The CSCA is a standardised test for prospective international students intending to undertake undergraduate education in China. For the 2026/2027 academic year, this test has become a mandatory document for applicants under the Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) scheme. In a notice regarding CGS registration for the 2026/2027 academic year, the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia stated that undergraduate applicants need to take the CSCA and upload a valid score report when applying. The score serves as one of the evaluation materials for universities. The introduction of the CSCA has prompted some prospective students and parents in Indonesia to adjust their plans. Previously, preparation for studying in China focused more on selecting campuses, study programmes, Mandarin language proficiency, and administrative documents. Now, students must also understand the exam structure, relevant subjects, and registration schedules. Lily Goenawan, a parent whose child plans to study in China, admitted she was initially surprised upon learning of this new requirement. “At first, I felt shocked and worried because now the requirements for studying in China are getting tougher,” she told Xinhua in Jakarta. According to Lily, the CSCA should be viewed as a new challenge to prepare for, rather than a barrier. After seeking more information, Lily assessed that the CSCA is not merely an additional obstacle. She believes the test can also help prospective students gauge their foundational knowledge before they actually enter a Chinese university. “I think there is a good side, because the CSCA can serve as a basic reference for both prospective students and universities to see the student’s fundamental abilities, as well as being a standardisation of basic competencies for all prospective students,” she said. Unlike the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK), which focuses on Mandarin language proficiency, the CSCA covers broader aspects of academic readiness. According to official CSCA information, the exam includes Professional Chinese, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Professional Chinese is divided into humanities and STEM categories, while Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry are basic subject exams. The subjects required depend on the university and the intended study programme. Consequently, prospective students are advised not only to seek general information about the CSCA but also to check the specific provisions of each university and programme. For applicants to certain programmes, Mathematics can be a crucial component. Meanwhile, applicants to Chinese-medium programmes generally need to pay attention to the Professional Chinese requirement. Physics and Chemistry may be relevant for those choosing science, engineering, medical, or other related programmes. For Lily, this change indicates that prospective students need to prepare earlier. She noted that studying abroad, including in China, is not just about being accepted at a university, but also about being able to follow the lectures once there. “The CSCA can help students face the lecture material later. At the very least, they will understand all the basic material well. So, when they enter more advanced material, they can follow it smoothly,” she said. However, as a relatively new policy, CSCA preparation also presents challenges. One of these, according to some prospective participants, is the limited availability of easily accessible learning resources and references, especially for students who are new to the exam format. “Because this is a relatively new requirement, something new always causes discomfort. Moreover, there were previously no, or very minimal, learning resources available,” Lily said. Noah, an 11th-grade student preparing for the CSCA, said he has been studying for several months with the help of a tutor. According to him, this preparation has made him more confident. “I have been studying for this exam for about five months with a tutor, and I feel the preparation I have done makes me more confident and ready to face this exam. I hope to get a satisfactory score later,” he said. Noah thinks the CSCA could be a particular challenge for international students, especially because the material and curriculum approach differ from other international exams more familiar to Indonesian students. “I think the CSCA will be more difficult than the SAT because the curriculum is different, while the SAT is more familiar,” said the student from a school using the Cambridge curriculum. Despite this, the interest of some Indonesian families in higher education in China has not diminished. Lily said she still wants her child to study in China because she sees the country’s extraordinary progress and the quality of several of its universities. “I really want my children to study in China because I see China’s incredible progress and development,” she said. “If studying in China is truly something to be achieved, then of course the CSCA is not a major obstacle, but a challenge that must be overcome,” she added. For prospective Indonesian students, the presence of the CSCA indicates that preparation for studying in China needs to be carried out in a more planned manner. In addition to preparing registration documents and language skills, they need to study the academic requirements of each university, select the appropriate exam subjects, and arrange a study schedule early on.