A common question from readers abroad is whether they need to take the gaokao to study in China. Usually they do not. Foreign nationals apply through a separate international student admissions route (来华留学), run by each university's international office.
The basic requirements for undergraduate study are typically a foreign passport, a completed secondary-school qualification, and proof of language ability. Many universities also set age limits and ask for a health check. Some leading universities set their own entrance tests or interviews for international applicants, often in mathematics and Chinese or English.
For degrees taught in Chinese, the standard language proof is the HSK (汉语水平考试), the official Chinese proficiency test. Requirements vary by university and subject, but a common threshold for undergraduate study is HSK 4, with some programmes, particularly in humanities or medicine, asking for HSK 5 or higher. A newer nine-level HSK framework is being phased in, so check which version a university refers to.
For programmes taught in English, universities usually ask for IELTS, TOEFL or evidence of previous study in English instead. English-taught undergraduate degrees exist in fields such as business, engineering, international relations and medicine, but the choice is narrower than for Chinese-taught degrees.
Funding options include the Chinese Government Scholarship, administered through the China Scholarship Council and Chinese embassies, as well as provincial, city and university scholarships. Some scholarship routes for undergraduates include a preparatory year to bring students' Chinese and subject knowledge up to the required level.
One important caveat: applicants who previously held Chinese nationality, or whose parents are Chinese citizens, may face additional rules about how long they must have held foreign citizenship and lived abroad. These rules have been tightened in recent years, so such applicants should check the current Ministry of Education requirements and the university's own guidance carefully.
Even if you never sit the gaokao, studying its papers is good preparation. University entrance tests for international students often draw on the same high-school content, and gaokao-style Chinese reading is excellent training for HSK 5 and 6.