📚 How to Book Secondary School Entrance Exams in China: A Step-by-Step Guide | 在中国如何预约中学入学类考试：全流程指南
Families in China often use one phrase - 'secondary school entrance exam' - for at least four completely different systems: municipal allocation for public junior high, the provincial Zhongkao for senior high, private and international school admissions assessments, and overseas boarding school tests such as the ISEB Pre-Test, 11+/13+ Common Entrance, UKiset and SSAT. Each one has a different owner, a different booking channel and a different deadline. This guide explains who actually controls each booking, how to reserve a slot step by step, what documents and fees are required, and how to avoid the mistakes that cost families a whole admissions cycle.
在中国，家长口中的"中学入学考试"其实至少涵盖四套完全不同的体系：公办初中入学（以划片和派位为主）、中考（省级统考）、民办与国际学校的自主招生评估，以及面向海外寄宿学校的 ISEB Pre-Test、11+/13+ Common Entrance、UKiset、SSAT 等考试。每一种的"预约权限"、预约渠道和截止时间都不一样。本文将拆解每类考试由谁组织、如何一步步预约考位、需要准备哪些材料与费用，以及哪些常见错误会让家庭白白错过一整轮申请周期。
1. Four Families of Tests, Four Different Rules | 四类考试，四套预约规则
Start by identifying which family your target school belongs to, because the booking route follows the exam owner, not the school name. Public junior high admission in most Chinese cities is now allocation-based: districts assign places by catchment, lottery or a combination of both, and no entrance test is booked at all. The Zhongkao, by contrast, is a provincial unified examination normally registered in bulk by your current school in the spring of Grade 9.
首先要判断目标学校属于哪一类，因为预约路径取决于"考试的主办方"，而不是学校名称。中国大多数城市的公办初中入学已改为划片、电脑派位或两者结合，基本不存在需要家长自行预约的入学考试。中考则属于省级统考，通常由就读学校在初三下学期统一组织报名，家长个人无法单独"抢考位"。
The two families you will usually book yourself are private, bilingual and international school admissions assessments inside China, and overseas school tests taken at a Chinese test centre or online. These are the focus of the rest of this article.
真正需要家长自行预约的，通常是两类：中国境内民办、双语及国际学校的自主招生评估，以及在中国的考点或线上参加的海外学校入学考试。本文后续内容主要围绕这两类展开。
2. Who Owns the Booking? | 预约权限归谁？
Before you touch any online form, confirm three things: the name of the examining body, the name of the registering party, and the name of the test venue. In many cases the school you are applying to does not run the test - it only registers you for a test run by someone else. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a candidate number never arrives.
在填写任何在线表格之前，先确认三件事：考试主办方是谁、报名主体是谁、考试地点在哪里。很多时候，你申请的学校并不出题，只是替你向第三方考试机构注册。搞错这三者，是"始终收不到准考证号"的头号原因。
| Test / 考试 | Organiser / 主办方 | Who books / 谁预约 |
| Zhongkao 中考 | Provincial / municipal exam authority 省市考试院 | Current school registers in bulk 就读学校统一报名 |
| Public junior high 公办初中 | District education bureau 区教育局 | No booking; allocation 无需预约，直接派位 |
| Private / bilingual / international school assessment 民办国际学校测试 | School admissions office 学校招生办 | Parent books via admissions portal 家长通过申请门户预约 |
| ISEB Pre-Test | ISEB 英国私立学校考试局 | Senior school registers; taken at school or centre 由目标中学注册 |
| UKiset | UKiset / Cambridge-based provider 考试机构 | Parent books online, chooses centre 家长在线预约并选考点 |
| SSAT / TOEFL Junior | Official US testing body and regional office 美国考试机构及地区办公室 | Parent books online 家长在线报名 |
3. The Five Booking Channels You Will Actually Use | 实际会用到的五种预约渠道
The first and most common channel is the school's own admissions portal. International and bilingual schools in China typically use systems such as OpenApply or a customised online application platform, where you create a family account, upload documents and then book an assessment date from a calendar of available slots.
最常见的第一种渠道是学校自己的招生门户。中国境内的国际与双语学校普遍使用 OpenApply 或自建在线申请系统，家长先创建家庭账号、上传材料，然后在系统给出的考位日历中选择评估日期。
The second channel is the exam board website. UKiset and SSAT, for example, are booked directly on the official platform, where you also choose a test centre city and a time slot. The third is the regional test centre, which may release additional slots independently of the central system.
第二种渠道是考试机构官网。例如 UKiset 与 SSAT 都需在官方平台直接注册，同时选择考点城市与时间段。第三种渠道是地区考点本身，它们有时会在中央系统之外单独放出额外考位。
The fourth channel is an authorised agent or education consultant, who can register you through a school's partner account. The fifth is the school's WeChat official account or mini-program, which many bilingual schools use for open-day bookings and assessment appointments.
第四种渠道是授权代理或教育顾问，可通过学校合作账号代为注册。第五种是学校的微信公众号或小程序，许多双语学校用它来预约开放日与入学评估。无论走哪条渠道，最终都应回到官网或招生办确认记录。
4. Step-by-Step: Booking Through a School Admissions Portal | 分步指南：通过学校申请门户预约
Step one: create the family account using the parent's full legal name exactly as it appears on the passport, because name mismatches cause rejection at the venue on test day. Step two: complete the applicant profile, including current school, year group and the entry point you are applying for.
第一步：用家长证件上完全一致的姓名创建家庭账号，姓名不符会在考试当天被考点拒之门外。第二步：填写申请人档案，包括现就读学校、年级以及申请的入学年级（入学点）。
Step three: upload supporting documents - passport photo page, birth certificate, the last two years of school reports, and any standardised test scores. Step four: pay the application fee online. Until the fee clears, the system will not unlock the assessment calendar.
第三步：上传支持材料——护照资料页、出生证明、最近两年的成绩单，以及已有的标准化考试成绩。第四步：在线支付申请费；在费用到账之前，系统不会开放考位日历。
Step five: choose an assessment slot. Step six: wait for the written confirmation email containing the candidate number, venue address, arrival time and ID requirements. Step seven: reply to confirm attendance, because an unconfirmed slot can be released to the waiting list.
第五步：选择评估时段。第六步：等待书面确认邮件，其中包含准考证号、考点地址、到场时间与证件要求。第七步：回复确认出席，未确认的考位可能被释放给候补名单。
5. Booking UK Boarding School Tests from China | 在中国预约英国寄宿学校入学考试
For UK independent senior schools, the ISEB Pre-Test is usually taken in the autumn or early spring of Year 6 or Year 7. Crucially, parents do not book it directly: the senior school you are applying to registers the candidate with ISEB, and the test is then sat at the pupil's current school or at an approved test centre. Your job is to confirm with the senior school that registration has happened.
申请英国私立中学时，ISEB Pre-Test 通常安排在六年级或七年级的秋季至初春。关键点在于：家长不能直接报名，而是由你申请的英国中学向 ISEB 注册考生，随后考生在现就读学校或获批准的考点参加考试。你要做的是向目标中学确认"注册是否已完成"。
UKiset works differently. You register on the official UKiset website, pay the fee yourself, and select a test centre. Centres in mainland China are concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with additional options in Hong Kong. Results are typically sent to your chosen schools within a few working days, and are usually valid for around twelve months, so timing matters: book too early and the report may expire before interviews.
UKiset 的机制不同：家长在 UKiset 官网自行注册、自行缴费并选择考点。中国大陆的考点集中在北上广深，香港亦有可选考点。成绩一般在几个工作日内发送给你指定的学校，有效期通常约为一年，因此时间安排很关键——考得太早，报告可能在面试前就过期了。
For 13+ Common Entrance and school-specific scholarship papers, registration is normally handled by the prep school or, for international candidates, arranged directly with the senior school's admissions office, which may designate a local centre or a remote invigilation slot.
至于 13+ Common Entrance 与各校的奖学金加试，报名通常由预备学校负责；对于国际考生，则由目标中学招生办直接安排，可能指定当地考点或线上监考考位。
6. Booking Assessments at International Schools Inside China | 中国境内国际学校的评估预约
Inside China, most international and bilingual schools run a two-part admissions process: a computer-based reasoning and English assessment, followed by a student interview and often a parent interview. The school, not an external board, decides the format, and the admissions office schedules the date.
在中国境内，多数国际与双语学校采用"两步走"的录取流程：先进行机考形式的逻辑推理与英语评估，再进行学生面试，通常还会有家长面谈。考试形式由学校自主决定，评估日期由招生办安排。
Because assessment days are run in batches, popular schools may only offer four to six group sessions per term. If you submit your application late, you may be offered a weekday individual slot instead of a group session, or placed on a waiting list for the next batch.
由于评估通常按批次进行，热门学校每学期可能只安排四到六场集体测试。若申请提交较晚，学校可能改为安排工作日单独考位，或把你放入下一批次的候补名单。
Some schools use standardised instruments such as CAT4, MAP Growth or WIDA for placement rather than selection. These are almost never booked by parents; the school administers them after an offer is made, purely to decide setting and EAL support.
部分学校使用 CAT4、MAP Growth 或 WIDA 等标准化工具，其用途是分班而非选拔。这类测试几乎从不需要家长预约，学校会在发放录取后统一施测，用于确定分层教学与英语支持方案。
7. Test Centre Slots, Release Patterns and Waiting Lists | 第三方考点、放位规律与候补名单
External test centres in China release slots in batches rather than continuously. The heaviest demand runs from September to January, when UK and US boarding applications peak, and again from March to May, when late applicants and transfer families compete for the few remaining places.
中国的第三方考点通常按批次放位，而非随时可约。需求最高的时段是 9 月至次年 1 月（英美寄宿申请高峰），其次是 3 月至 5 月，此时补申请家庭与转学家庭会争抢少量余位。
A practical rule is to book four to eight weeks ahead of your target date, and to check the portal every Monday morning, since many centres update availability at the start of the working week. If no slot appears, join the waiting list in writing and ask the admissions office to note your preferred window.
一条实用经验：提前四到八周锁定目标日期，并在每周一上午查看系统，因为不少考点会在工作周开始时更新考位。若显示无位，请以书面形式加入候补名单，并请招生办备注你偏好的考试窗口。
Always keep a written record of the booking - screenshot the confirmation page, save the email and note the name of the staff member you spoke to. When two systems disagree about whether you have a slot, documentation decides the outcome.
务必保留预约的书面记录——截图确认页面、保存邮件，并记下与你沟通的工作人员姓名。当两个系统对"你是否已占位"说法不一致时，书面证据才是决定性的。
8. Documents, Fees and Payment Methods | 材料、费用与支付方式
The standard document pack includes a valid passport or ID card, a recent passport-style photograph, birth certificate, the last two school reports with an official English translation where required, and any previous test certificates. Some UK schools also request a reference letter sent directly by the current school, which must arrive in a sealed envelope or from a school email domain.
常规材料包包括：有效护照或身份证、近期证件照、出生证明、最近两期成绩单（如需则附官方英文翻译件），以及既往考试成绩单。部分英国学校还会要求由现就读学校直接寄出的推荐信，须以密封信封或学校官方邮箱形式送达。
Fees are almost always non-refundable and non-transferable, even if you cancel or fall ill. Budget for the components below, and remember that currency conversion and international transfer charges can add several hundred renminbi to the total.
费用几乎一律不退不转，即使你取消或缺考。请按下表中的项目预算，并注意汇率折算与跨境转账手续费可能额外增加数百元人民币。
t = Application Fee + Test Fee + Centre Surcharge + Courier Fee ± Exchange Rate Difference
Indicative ranges in China are roughly RMB 1,000-3,000 for a school application fee, GBP 250-350 for a UK external assessment, and RMB 1,500-2,500 for a US secondary assessment including courier delivery. Payment is usually by Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay or international credit card; a few schools still accept bank transfer only.
在中国的参考区间大致为：学校申请费 1,000-3,000 元人民币；英国第三方评估约 250-350 英镑；美国中学类考试含寄送约 1,500-2,500 元人民币。支付方式通常为支付宝、微信支付、银联或国际信用卡，少数学校仍仅接受银行转账。
9. Deadlines, Test Windows and the Annual Calendar | 截止日期、考试窗口与年度日历
Admissions in this sector runs on a fixed annual rhythm. Missing a window rarely means missing the year entirely, but it almost always means accepting a less convenient venue, a weekday slot or a waiting-list position.
这一领域的招生有固定的年度节奏。错过窗口通常不至于耽误一整年，但往往意味着只能接受更远的考点、工作日的时段或候补位置。
| Period / 时段 | What happens / 主要节点 |
| Sep-Oct 九至十月 | UK senior school registration closes; ISEB Pre-Test window opens 英国中学注册截止，Pre-Test 窗口开启 |
| Nov-Jan 十一月至一月 | Peak assessment season; interviews and ISEB before 13+ CE 评估高峰，面试与 ISEB 前置考试 |
| Feb-Mar 二至三月 | Offers issued; 13+ CE registration via prep school 发放录取，预备学校注册 13+ CE |
| Apr-Jun 四至六月 | International school group assessment days; 13+ CE exams in the UK 国际学校集体评估；英国 13+ CE 考试 |
| Jul-Aug 七至八月 | Late and transfer applications; results and visa paperwork 补申请与转学，出分与签证材料 |
10. Remote Invigilation and Access Arrangements | 线上监考与特殊考试安排
Since 2020 many providers offer an online option with remote invigilation. If you book a remote slot, you will typically need a wired or stable broadband connection, a working webcam and microphone, a plain room with the door closed, and a desk cleared of everything except your ID and permitted stationery. Expect an identity check and a 360-degree room scan before the timer starts.
2020 年以来，许多考试机构提供线上远程监考选项。预约线上考位通常要求：稳定有线宽带、可用的摄像头与麦克风、独立且关门的房间，桌面除证件与允许的文具外清空。开考前一般会有身份核验与 360 度环境扫描。
If a candidate needs extra time, a separate room or a rest break, you must request it in advance through the school or the exam board, not on the day. Most boards require supporting evidence, such as a report from an educational psychologist or a medical letter, submitted six to eight weeks before the test date.
如果考生需要延长时间、单独考场或额外休息，必须提前通过学校或考试机构申请，而不是当场提出。多数机构要求提交证明材料，例如教育心理学家评估报告或医生证明，并建议在考试日前六到八周提交。
Book early for such arrangements, as separate rooms and additional invigilators are strictly limited at Chinese test centres during peak months.
这类特殊安排务必尽早预约，因为在高峰月份，中国考点的独立考场与额外监考人力都十分有限。
11. Confirmation, Rescheduling and Cancellation | 确认、改期与取消
Once booked, read the confirmation email line by line. Check the candidate number, the spelling of the name, the date and the venue. Errors in the name or date of birth must be corrected before test day; centres may refuse entry if the ID does not match the registration record.
预约成功后，请逐行核对确认邮件：准考证号、姓名拼写、考试日期与考点地址。姓名或出生日期如有错误，必须在考试当天之前更正；若证件与注册记录不一致，考点有权拒绝入场。
Arrive at least thirty minutes early with the original ID. Most providers allow one free reschedule if requested at least seven to fourteen days in advance, but illness on the day usually requires a doctor's note issued on the day itself to obtain a partial credit or a free retake.
请至少提前三十分钟到场并携带证件原件。多数机构允许在考前七至十四天前提出一次免费改期；但若当天因病缺考，通常需要当日开具的医生证明，才能获得部分抵扣或免费重考资格。
If you cancel, assume the fee is lost. In practice, the cheapest option is almost always to sit the test and, if the score disappoints, to use the resit policy later rather than to withdraw.
若你选择取消，基本可以视为费用损失。实践中，最经济的选择通常是照常参加考试；如成绩不理想，再依据重考政策安排下一次，而非直接弃考。
12. Common Mistakes and a Final Checklist | 常见错误与最终清单
The most frequent mistake is assuming the school has booked the external test for you. The second is booking an external assessment too early and letting the report expire. The third is submitting documents with inconsistent names across passport, birth certificate and school records.
最常见的错误是"以为学校已经替你预约了外部考试"。第二是外部评估考得太早、报告过期。第三是护照、出生证明与在校记录上的姓名拼写不一致。
The fourth is missing the payment deadline, which silently invalidates the application. The fifth is ignoring the confirmation email and losing the slot
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