On November 14-15, the CSCA Exam Moves to Two Days: What Candidates Should Expect and How to Prepare Now

Nov,10 2026

The next China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) will be held on November 14-15, and it will look different from every sitting before it: for the first time, the exam runs across two days, with Professional Chinese and Mathematics on the first day and Physics and Chemistry on the second. For the international students planning to study in China in 2027, this is more than a scheduling detail — it is the earliest window in which to bank a score that a growing list of Chinese universities now require with the application itself.

What Is New About This Sitting?

Three things distinguish the November session. First, the two-day structure: instead of one exhausting day, language and mathematics come first, followed by the science papers, with sessions beginning in the morning or afternoon Beijing time depending on the assigned batch. Second, the format is now fully dual-track — candidates can test from home under online supervision or at a physical test centre, with identical papers, timing and scoring either way. Third, November itself is a new addition to the calendar, which until now centred on sessions friendlier to particular regions; adding a November sitting gives Asia-Pacific candidates in particular a more convenient early option.

What Will the Two Days Look Like?

If you are registered for November, expect a compact, tightly timed set of multiple-choice papers rather than long essay questions. Mathematics is compulsory for everyone. Physics and Chemistry appear only if your target programme requires them. Professional Chinese — the paper for applicants to Chinese-taught degrees — tests the specialised vocabulary of academic study, from character recognition to reading comprehension, and it cannot be taken in English. Candidates choosing English-taught programmes generally do not sit this paper at all, which is one of the first things to confirm before the exam rather than during it.

What Should Candidates Do This Week?

With the sitting days away, preparation shifts from learning to logistics. Confirm your subjects, your testing language and your local start time converted from Beijing time; complete the equipment and internet checks required for home-based testing; and rehearse under real timing at least once — many capable students lose points simply because their first timed paper is the real one. If vocabulary is your weak point, prioritise subject keywords over new content: knowing the Chinese term for a physics concept you already understand is the fastest mark you will earn. SICAS's CSCA preparation programme offers exactly this kind of timed, bilingual training, and the exemptions around Professional Chinese and HSK are explained in our guide to whether you need HSK to apply.

What Comes After the Exam?

Score reports feed directly into university admission review, and results remain valid for two years — so a November score is an asset for anyone planning to study in China in 2027, and our guide to the CSCA for 2027 admission explains exactly how that score is weighed. If a paper goes badly, the calendar now offers another sitting soon after, and early candidates always keep the retake option open. The strategic lesson of this new two-day era is simple: the students who treat the CSCA as a milestone in a twelve-month study in China plan, not as a one-day event, are the ones who arrive at application season with scores in hand while others are still booking exams.

Read More

SICAS Official Pre-University Program: Build Your Dream in 2026. Pass the CSCA Exam with Confidence.

High School Chemistry vs CSCA Chemistry: Why Knowing the Subject Is Not Always Enough

Apply Now: https://www.sicas.com.cn/Account/SignUp