#high school examination

Gaokao: National Higher Education Entrance Examination

[The photo shows a tiny bit of the 7500 student cells at the examination hall for the gaokao in Guangzhou in 1873. The photographer is unknown.]

This weekend, about 9.2 million Chinese high school students enrolled in the gaokao (高考), the notoriously difficult exam which is a prerequisite for entrance into almost all higher education institutions at the undergraduate level. It is usually taken by students in their last year of high school, although there has been no age restriction since 2001.

The gaokao is held once a year but in recent years some of the provinces in China hold twice examinations a year and the adding one is called Spring Entrance Examination. Old schedule (before 2003) of the National Higher Education Entrance Examination was from July every year. Since 2003, the time changed to June every year. 

Here’s a link to some of this year’s exam questions (in English).