What Is Professional Chinese?
The CSCA Professional Chinese exam has two versions: Humanities Chinese and STEM Chinese. Both are offered only as Chinese-language papers.
According to the exam introduction on the official website, both versions last 90 minutes, consist of 80 objective multiple-choice questions, and are scored on a 0–100 scale.
The following candidates must take the Professional Chinese exam:
- Students applying for the Chinese Government Scholarship undergraduate program must take Professional Chinese.
- Students applying for other undergraduate programs must take Professional Chinese if they are applying to Chinese-taught programs.
- Whether a candidate takes Humanities Chinese or STEM Chinese depends on the program requirements of the target institution.
The Professional Chinese preparation materials on the official website fall into four categories—humanities, business and economics, science, and medicine—and include vocabulary lists. The reference combinations in the official CSC notice also mention Business Chinese and Medical Chinese.
How the Official Syllabus Describes It (2025 Edition)
Humanities Chinese
The 2025 official syllabus describes Humanities Chinese as assessing candidates' ability to use Chinese for humanities study—that is, whether they can study effectively in a first-year humanities undergraduate classroom at a Chinese university.
The requirements set out in the syllabus include:
- Being able to understand classroom content and take notes on key points.
- Being able to use scanning and skimming to extract keywords.
- Being able to use reference books to read simple specialized books.
STEM Chinese
STEM Chinese assesses candidates' ability to use Chinese for science and engineering study—that is, whether they can study effectively in a first-year science and engineering undergraduate classroom.
The requirements set out in the syllabus include:
- Being able to distinguish Professional Chinese expressions from everyday language.
- Mastering a relatively rich vocabulary of science and engineering terms.
- Being able to read textbooks for common foundation courses such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.
Exam Format and Question Types
Both exams have the same format:
- Both last 90 minutes.
- Both have a maximum score of 100.
- Both use single-choice questions.
The question types are also the same, with six in total:
- Recognizing and understanding Chinese characters
- Choosing words to fill in the blanks
- Distinguishing between words
- Choosing words to complete a passage
- Completing sentences
- Reading comprehension
The syllabus does not specify how many questions of each type there are, nor does it specify the vocabulary size or corresponding HSK level.
Exam Topics
Humanities Chinese
Humanities Chinese involves disciplines such as literature, philosophy, law, education, history, and art.
The specific subject categories covered include Chinese language and literature, philosophy, law, political science, education, sociology, journalism and communication, history, music, and fine arts.
STEM Chinese
STEM Chinese topics can be divided into three categories:
- Basic mathematical and physical concepts: mathematical symbols and formula expression, physical laws and chemical equations, and basic experimental operation terminology.
- Specialized course content: advanced mathematics, university physics, basic chemistry, and computer programming terminology.
- Academic application scenarios: describing experimental processes, interpreting data charts, reading academic papers, and classroom discussions.
How to Prepare
You need to answer 80 questions in 90 minutes, which works out to about 67 seconds per question, so reading speed matters. When you practice, set a timer beside you to get used to this pace.
Here are several specific ways to prepare:
- Start with the vocabulary lists on the official website and memorize words for the category you will take; do not mix the two categories.
- Read more subject-specific Chinese materials, such as Chinese editions of mathematics and physics textbooks, rather than relying only on everyday conversations.
- Candidates preparing for STEM Chinese should be especially familiar with how formulas, units and experimental procedures are expressed in Chinese.
Next Steps
Professional Chinese and Mathematics are held on the same day. Mathematics is a required subject for all candidates. You can start with a 15-minute math diagnostic on CSCA.PRO to understand your current level, then plan the rest of your review.