Studying in Germany with your gaokao: do you need Studienkolleg?
Many Chinese students assume a Studienkolleg year is unavoidable. Often it is not, but the rule has more conditions than a single score. A gaokao of at least 70% of your province's maximum can open a direct, subject-restricted route, if you also meet the other APS conditions. APS verification comes before the application itself.
uni-assist.com Rehberi · Son kontrol: 22.07.2026 · 6 dk okuma
Bu sayfada
According to APS, the German Embassy's academic evaluation office in China, a gaokao of at least 70% of your province's maximum total can give direct, subject-restricted admission, but only if you also meet the other conditions: a school diploma and a gaokao both from spring 2019 or later, 12 years of schooling, the Huikao, and the required gaokao subject combination. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and law require at least 80%. A score below the line does not automatically mean Studienkolleg: whether you have a direct route, a Studienkolleg route, or no route depends on your university study. In every case, APS verification must be completed before you apply to a German university.
Chinese applicants with a gaokao result, planning a bachelor's in Germany.
Gaokao 70% and all conditions met
A gaokao of at least 70% of your province's maximum, from spring 2019 or later and with the schooling, Huikao and subject-combination conditions, can give a direct subject-restricted route, no Studienkolleg.
Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary or law
These five fields require at least 80% of the maximum, plus a matching subject combination. The general 70% rule does not cover them.
APS comes first, before the application
APS must verify your documents before you apply to a German university, not just before the visa. Start it early; processing time can vary.
Which route applies to you?
Your route is set by your gaokao and any completed university study, against the criteria APS applies. Find the row closest to you, then confirm your own case in anabin and with the university.
| Your situation | What it means | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| Gaokao at least 70% of your province's maximum, from spring 2019 or later, and you meet the 12-year schooling, Huikao and subject-combination conditions | Direct subject-restricted admission is possible, without Studienkolleg | Direct [1] |
| You are targeting medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or law | At least 80% of the maximum, plus a matching subject combination, is required | 80% needed [1] |
| At least one successfully completed semester of a four- or five-year bachelor at a 211-project university | Direct subject-restricted admission is possible | Direct [3] |
| At least three successfully completed semesters of a four- or five-year bachelor at a normal recognised university | Direct subject-restricted admission is possible | Direct [3] |
| One or two completed semesters at a normal university, or a completed three-year Junior College (大专) | A Feststellungsprüfung route applies, usually after a Studienkolleg year | Studienkolleg [3] |
| A two-year Junior College, an unfinished three-year Junior College, or a Gaozhi programme | No higher-education access under these rules | No access [3] |
The 70% rule does not open every subject: APS also checks which gaokao subjects you completed. Whether your university counts as a 211-project university, and how it appears in anabin, can be checked directly. The final admission decision is the university's.
Chinese applicants who meet the gaokao conditions, or the recognised-university study requirements, may have a direct subject-restricted route without Studienkolleg. Whether it applies to you depends on your exact score, subjects and study history. [1][3]
APS recognises the gaokao at 70% of the provincial maximum (80% for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and law) with further conditions, and sets separate rules for university study, some of which give direct access and some of which give none.
Check your gaokao against the 70% (or 80%) line and the subject conditions, match any university study to the semester rules, look yourself up in anabin, and start APS before you apply.
The 70% is not the only condition
A gaokao at or above 70% of your province's maximum total can open direct, subject-restricted admission, but the score alone is not the whole rule. APS also requires a school diploma and a gaokao both obtained from spring 2019 onward, twelve years of schooling, the Huikao, and a gaokao subject combination that matches your intended field, two languages (Chinese and a foreign language) plus a mathematics or science subject.
For medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and law, the threshold is higher: at least 80% of the maximum, again with a matching subject combination. If a page quotes only 70% with no other conditions, it is telling you less than half the rule. [1]
A low score does not automatically mean Studienkolleg
If you are below the direct-admission line, university study can change the picture, but not in a single direction. At least one successfully completed semester of a four- or five-year bachelor at a 211-project university, or three such semesters at a normal recognised university, can give direct subject-restricted access. One or two semesters, or a completed three-year Junior College, lead instead to the Feststellungsprüfung route, usually after a Studienkolleg year.
And some backgrounds have no higher-education access under these rules at all, including a two-year Junior College, an unfinished three-year Junior College, or a Gaozhi programme. So “below 70% means I just do a Studienkolleg” is not a safe assumption; check which group you are in. [3]
APS is the first step, before the application
Whatever your route, APS comes first. APS is the German Embassy's office in China that verifies your academic documents, and its procedure states that before you can apply to a German university, your certificates must be checked by APS for authenticity, after which you receive a digital certificate. It is a prerequisite to the application, not merely a visa formality.
Because verification takes time and must be finished before the application, it is the step to start earliest. Treat APS as the beginning of your timeline, not a formality at the end. [2][1]
How to verify your own case
Two things decide your route, and neither is a blog: the gaokao and university-study criteria APS applies, and your own university's classification. Check whether your university appears as recognised in anabin, and read the application page of the German university you are aiming for.
The final decision on admission is the university's. This guide gives you the shape of the rule and the questions to ask; the confirmation comes from APS, anabin and the university. [4][3]
Sık sorulan sorular
Is a gaokao of 70% enough on its own?
No. Besides 70% of your province's maximum, APS requires a diploma and a gaokao both from spring 2019 or later, 12 years of schooling, the Huikao, and a matching gaokao subject combination. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and law need at least 80%.
My gaokao is below the line. Do I just do a Studienkolleg?
Not necessarily. Completed university study can give direct access (at least one successfully completed semester of a four- or five-year bachelor at a 211 university, or at least three such semesters at a normal recognised one), a Studienkolleg / Feststellungsprüfung route (one or two semesters, or a completed three-year Junior College), or no access at all (a two-year Junior College, an unfinished three-year one, or Gaozhi). Check which group you are in.
Does APS have to be done before I apply?
Yes. The APS procedure states that your certificates must be verified before you apply to a German university, not only before the visa. Start it early.
Is the 70% the same for medicine?
No. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and law require at least 80% of the maximum, with a matching subject combination.
How current is this information?
It rests on the APS office (aps.org.cn) and anabin and was checked on 22 July 2026. Always verify your own case with APS, in anabin, and with the university.
Kaynaklar
- [1] APS (German Embassy China), Gaokao procedure and subject requirements · Son kontrol: 22.07.2026
- [2] APS (German Embassy China), China procedure: verification before the application · Son kontrol: 22.07.2026
- [3] APS (German Embassy China), university access after study in China · Son kontrol: 22.07.2026
- [4] anabin (KMK/ZAB), Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang · Son kontrol: 22.07.2026