How to prepare for the CSCA exam
To prepare for the CSCA, find your weak topics with a diagnostic, learn the official maths topics in order, practise exam-style multiple-choice questions under the real timer of 48 questions in 60 minutes, fix every mistake, and sit full mocks before exam day.
Step one takes no account. The free diagnostic is 48 questions based on the December 2025 exam, with your weak topics at the end. It needs no account. Mock 1, a full paper, is free with an account.
Check which subjects you need
Mathematics is required for every undergraduate applicant. Check each university's admission guide for Professional Chinese, Physics or Chemistry. See what is the CSCA exam for the full list.
Take a diagnostic
Sit one full paper before you study, so you know your score and your weak topics. The free ACE CSCA diagnostic is 48 questions based on the December 2025 exam.
Learn the syllabus in order
Work through the topics one block at a time: sets and inequalities, functions, trigonometry, lines, sequences, conics, exponentials and logs, vectors, complex numbers and probability. The CSCA syllabus lists every topic, and Week 1's lessons are free to read.
Practise every day, then fix every miss
After each lesson, answer exam-style questions on it. Your first score is the honest one; then redo every question you got wrong until you understand it. Try a few sample CSCA maths questions.
Train the pacing
You have 75 seconds per question on average. The early questions are quicker, which buys time for the hard ones at the end. Go in order, flag a question that takes twice its time, and never leave a blank. The lesson how the CSCA exam works gives a pacing plan for each part of the paper.
Sit full mocks
In the last weeks, sit full 48-question papers under the real timer and review every mistake. Mock 1 on ACE CSCA is free with an account.
Get test day ready
For the remote test you need a Windows computer, a phone or tablet as the second camera, a quiet closed room, your original ID and your admission ticket. Read the rules for your session on csca.cn and join the official platform test and mock test.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I prepare for the CSCA?
It depends on where you start. The ACE CSCA course is built as 8 weeks of lessons and practice, one topic block a week. Take the free diagnostic first: your score shows how much of the syllabus you still need.
Can I prepare for the CSCA for free?
Yes, you can start for free. On ACE CSCA the 48-question diagnostic, all of Week 1 (lessons and practice) and Mock 1 are free. Plus opens Weeks 2 to 8, the weekly mocks, Mocks 2 to 4 and the question bank.
What is the best way to practise for the CSCA maths paper?
Practise exam-style multiple-choice questions on one topic at a time, then mixed papers under the real timer of 48 questions in 60 minutes. Redo every question you miss until you can solve it without help.
How should I pace the CSCA maths paper?
On average you have 75 seconds per question. Go in order, answer what you can, and flag any question that takes twice its time. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank on ACE CSCA mocks, so never leave a question empty.
What score do I need on the CSCA?
Each university sets its own requirements, so check their admission guides. ACE CSCA lets you aim for 60 to 75, 75 to 85, or 85 and above, and the course changes with your target.
Which topics are on the CSCA maths exam?
The official modules are sets and inequalities, functions (including trigonometry, sequences and basic derivatives), geometry and algebra (lines, conics, vectors, complex numbers, simple solids), and probability and statistics. See the CSCA syllabus for every topic week by week.
Ready to start? The free diagnostic is 48 questions based on the December 2025 exam, with your weak topics at the end. It needs no account. Mock 1, a full paper, is free with an account.