CSC Scholarship Without IELTS: What Actually Works in 2026-27

There is no universal IELTS answer for every CSC route and program. Current official scholarship guidance sends applicants back to the target university's language requirements.

The official 2026/2027 application notice circulated by Chinese embassies says applicants for programs taught in languages other than Chinese must provide language certificates "in accordance with the requirements of each university" (official notice). That single sentence is the whole CSC-level rule.

The practical question is whether the specific university and program requires IELTS or accepts another form of language evidence. Some current notices require a test score, while the verified examples below accept an English Proficiency Certificate or medium-of-instruction letter in stated circumstances. Check each current admission notice before relying on an exemption.

An English Proficiency Certificate is an official letter from your previous university confirming that English was the medium of instruction for your degree. It is sometimes called a Medium of Instruction (MOI) certificate.

It typically states:

• Your full name, student ID, and degree program
• The dates you studied and the degree awarded
• A sentence confirming that all courses, lectures, and examinations were conducted in English
• Official letterhead, stamp or seal, and the signature of the registrar or examinations office

Your previous institution decides whether it can issue the letter and whether it charges an administrative fee. The target Chinese university then decides whether the letter satisfies its program requirement.

Request it from the registrar, controller of examinations, or student affairs office of the university that awarded your last degree. Ask that office about its processing time and fee.

Practical steps:

• Write a short application stating you need a Medium of Instruction certificate for study abroad
• Attach a copy of your degree and transcript so they can verify your record
• Ask for it on official letterhead with a stamp and an issue date, addressed "To Whom It May Concern"
• Get at least two originals and a clean scan; you will upload the scan to the CSC portal and university portals

One warning: the letter must come from the institution itself. A certificate typed by an agent or notarized without university letterhead is worthless and can get an application flagged. If your university has a standard format, use theirs.

Several universities say so explicitly in their current admission notices. Verified examples for the 2026 cycle:

• Tianjin University: applicants whose highest diploma was taught in English "may provide a certificate of English instruction instead of IELTS or TOEFL certificate" (official notice)
• China University of Petroleum (Beijing): asks for IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 80, "or an official letter from their former university stating English as the teaching language" for at least 2 years of prior study (official page)
• Chang'an University: its 2026-2027 CSC notice exempts applicants who submit "proof of instruction language of previous education" (official notice)

Shanghai Ocean University also accepts "the same level of materials to prove your English level" in its published notice. These examples are not a master list, and policies can change by intake or program, so always confirm the current notice.

Read the current admission notice of every university on your list and search for the words "English proficiency" or "language requirements." There is no official master list, and blog lists circulating online are often outdated or invented.

A reliable process:

• Start from the CSC university list on campuschina.org, then go to each university's international student office website (usually an edu.cn domain)
• Open the newest CSC or international admission notice, not last year's
• Look for phrases like "certificate of English instruction," "Medium of Instruction," or "proof of instruction language"
• If the notice only lists IELTS/TOEFL scores, email the admission office and ask directly; many accept the certificate case by case

This takes hours per university, which is exactly the work we do in a $50 shortlisting session if you would rather have a vetted list matched to your profile.

A Chinese-taught program usually evaluates Chinese rather than English proficiency, but the exact HSK level and any exemption are set by the current program notice.

Do not assume a funded language-preparation year is included. Some routes or programs provide preparatory study and others require the HSK score at application. Tianjin University's published notice, for example, asks Chinese-taught applicants for HSK 5 with a score of 180 or above (notice).

For most English-speaking applicants, an English-taught program with a proficiency certificate is the easier route. See our HSK vs IELTS guide for a full comparison of the two paths.

Take IELTS if you are targeting top-tier universities, competitive supervisors, or want a backup plan beyond China. The certificate route works, but a real score removes doubt.

IELTS is worth the fee when:

• Your target university's notice lists IELTS 6.0 or 6.5 with no exemption wording, as some do
• A target program lists a score as required or strongly preferred
• You want a standardized result that is usable across several applications
• Your previous degree was only partly in English, making a Medium of Instruction letter hard to justify
• You may also apply to universities in other countries where IELTS is genuinely mandatory

If none of these apply, skip it and save the roughly USD 200+ test fee. More detail in our language requirements guide.

No. "No IELTS, guaranteed admission" is a classic scam formula. It bundles one true fact (many universities do not require IELTS) with one impossible promise (guaranteed CSC admission). Nobody can guarantee a competitive scholarship: not agents, not professors, not anyone.

Red flags to walk away from:

• Guaranteed scholarship or guaranteed professor acceptance for a fee
• Charges of hundreds of dollars for "processing" documents you can submit free on the CSC portal yourself
• Selling fake Medium of Instruction certificates; universities verify these, and forgery means rejection and possible bans
• Pressure to pay before showing you which university or program you are even applying to

Everything in this guide is doable yourself for free, plus the cost of document attestation. Read our full breakdown in agents, scams, and how to apply safely, and check your basics with our eligibility tool.

*CSC Path is an independent educational resource, not affiliated with the China Scholarship Council. Always verify through official sources.*