Your CSCA exam-day procedure depends on the format shown in your registration record and admission ticket. A test-center exam uses a supervised computer station. A home-based exam uses the official exam client, remote identity checks, and two-camera monitoring.
Read the current Candidate Instructions and Declaration and the Academic Integrity Pledge in the official system before test day. Your admission ticket, session notice, and live exam client take priority if a detail differs from this guide.
Do not plan around a grace period. Test-center candidates should arrive at least 40 minutes early. Home-based candidates should log in when the system opens, normally 60 minutes before the exam, and complete all checks at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start. Late admission is not permitted after the exam begins.
Test-center computer-based exam
What to bring
Bring only the items required for admission and permitted by your test center:
- The original, valid identity document used for registration
- A printed admission ticket with information that exactly matches the identity document
- A black ink pen
An expired document, mismatched information, or a document that does not belong to the candidate can result in denied admission. Be prepared for facial recognition or a manual identity review at check-in.
Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds, recording devices, cameras, books, notes, calculators, bags, food, and drinks are not allowed at the workstation. A test center may allow an unlabeled bottle of water to remain on the floor, but ask staff before bringing it into the room.
Arrival and check-in
- Arrive at the designated test center at least 40 minutes before the time printed on your admission ticket.
- Present your original identity document and printed admission ticket.
- Complete facial recognition or the manual identity check and system check-in.
- Store all personal belongings in the assigned area. Electronic devices must be powered off.
- Sit at the workstation assigned by staff.
- Place your identity document and admission ticket at the upper-left corner of the desk for inspection.
- Check the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Raise your hand immediately if anything is not working.
Once the official start time has passed, candidates are treated as absent and cannot enter the room.
Logging in and answering questions
Enter the admission-ticket number and password at the test workstation. Review the Academic Integrity Pledge, confirm it in the system, and wait for the exam to begin.
When the countdown ends, the system opens the full-screen test and starts the timer. Answer with the mouse. Responses are saved automatically, but you should still use the question navigator to confirm that every intended response is recorded. A green question number indicates an answered item. You may return to earlier questions and revise answers while time remains.
Rules inside the test room
- Remain quiet and work independently. Do not speak, signal, exchange items, or communicate in any form.
- Raise your hand when you need assistance and wait for a proctor to come to you.
- Use only scratch paper supplied by the test center. Return every sheet before leaving.
- Do not use communication, recording, or reference devices, and do not consult notes or another candidate's work.
- Do not leave your seat or exit early without a proctor's permission. Restroom breaks require staff supervision.
- Follow all proctor instructions. Suspected misconduct may be documented and handled under the official exam rules.
If the computer or system fails
Raise your hand immediately if the computer freezes, the screen goes blank, the test becomes unresponsive, or the connection drops. Do not restart the computer or leave the room on your own.
The system is designed to retain saved progress. After staff resolve the problem, you should be able to continue. The proctor will address any eligible time adjustment based on the documented interruption.
Finishing and leaving
The system submits the exam automatically when time expires. Leave the screen unchanged until the proctor confirms the submission. Staff must collect and count all scratch paper before candidates leave. Retrieve personal items only when directed, exit quietly, and avoid gathering or talking near the test room.
Home-based online exam
A home-based CSCA session is a remotely proctored exam, not an unsupervised online test. You are responsible for completing the required tests, preparing a compliant room and device setup, and remaining visible and audible throughout the session.
Complete both pre-exam tests
Before exam day, complete the activities assigned in your official notice:
- Individual system test: verify the exam client, main computer, camera, microphone, and network.
- Centralized mock test: complete at least one required group simulation to identify technical problems and practice the check-in process.
Failure to complete a required test can leave you unable to enter or finish the official exam. The reviewed instructions state that a fee is not refunded when a candidate's failure to complete the required preparation causes the exam-day problem.
Build a compliant two-camera setup
The main and secondary cameras and their microphones must remain on and unobstructed for the entire exam.
| Component | Required position or condition |
|---|---|
| Main camera | Front view with the candidate's face and upper body clearly visible |
| Secondary camera | About 45 degrees behind and to the side, showing the candidate's profile, shoulders, arms, hands, and main screen |
| Lighting | Bright and even enough for the proctor to identify the candidate and observe movements |
| Microphone | On and able to capture room audio throughout the session |
| Secondary device | Stable power, nonessential apps closed, Do Not Disturb enabled, and Airplane Mode enabled before reconnecting to Wi-Fi |
Use a stable network and keep both devices connected to power or dependable backup power. The secondary device must remain fixed after the proctor approves its position.
Log in and complete verification
The system normally opens 60 minutes before the scheduled start. Log in as soon as it opens and complete device checks, facial recognition, and identity verification no later than 15 minutes before the exam.
- Open the official exam client, choose the interface language, and complete the system and network checks.
- Enter the admission-ticket number and password.
- Confirm the displayed identity information and complete facial recognition using the original identity document.
- Scan the on-screen QR code to connect the secondary monitoring device.
- Follow the proctor's instructions to show the identity document, provide a 360-degree room view, and display the blank scratch-work tool permitted for the session.
- Read the exam rules shown in the client and confirm your agreement.
Candidates who have not completed admission before the start time cannot enter after the exam begins.
Online testing rules
- Do not switch windows, use multiple displays, run other software, enable remote control, or share the screen outside the official exam process.
- Do not use a phone, calculator, wireless headset, or any other unauthorized electronic device.
- Stay seated and within both camera views. Do not communicate with anyone or accept outside assistance.
- Keep the face fully visible; do not wear accessories that interfere with identity or behavior monitoring.
- Do not copy, photograph, record, disclose, or distribute exam questions or answers in any form.
- Do not submit early. The system submits the exam automatically when time expires.
- Follow the proctor's instructions throughout the session.
Answering questions online
After the countdown ends and you confirm the rules, the client opens the full-screen test and starts the timer. Use the mouse to answer. The system saves progress automatically, and green question numbers in the navigator identify answered items. Review the navigator before time expires and return to earlier questions when needed.
Handling a technical interruption
If the screen goes blank, the client freezes, a page stops responding, or the network disconnects, use the Call Proctor control on the secondary device first. Exit or restart the exam client only under the proctor's direction.
If the secondary device is also offline and you cannot reach the proctor, restart the exam computer and log in again. Contact official technical support if the problem continues. Saved answers should remain available after reconnection, but follow the proctor's instructions rather than improvising a workaround.
Ending the home-based exam
When time expires, wait until the client displays a successful submission message. Show the scratch-work surface when instructed and erase its contents on camera. Then exit the exam system. Keep the installed client files until scores are released in case the official team asks you to retain them.
Scores and electronic reports
CSCA states that results are normally published within 10 business days after the test session. Log in at csca.cn to view and download the electronic score report. An exceptional delay should be announced on the official website.
The score can serve as an academic reference in undergraduate admission and may be required in a particular scholarship application. It does not create a universal admission or scholarship entitlement; the receiving university or scholarship authority decides how the result is used.
The reviewed CSCA guidance describes the score report as valid for two years from its issue date. Confirm that the report will still be valid on the deadline set by each university or scholarship program.
Final exam-day check
- Confirm the format, date, start time, and time zone on the admission ticket.
- Recheck the current official instructions for your exact session.
- Prepare the original identity document and admission-ticket credentials.
- For a test center, arrive at least 40 minutes early with the printed ticket.
- For a home exam, complete both required pre-exam tests and log in when the system opens.
- Use only permitted materials and follow every proctor instruction.
Rules and technical procedures can change by session. Treat this page as a planning guide and the official CSCA system as the final authority.