BEIJING: A record number of students in China have begun sitting the country’s notoriously difficult college entrance examinations known as “gaokao”, the first since the authorities suddenly lifted zero-COVID rules that forced classes online for months on end.
China’s education ministry has said that a record of nearly 13m students have registered for the exams, which began on Wednesday. The exams are known for being difficult while many students take additional tuition to help them through.
“I have been waking up at 4 am every day, except on Sundays, to study for the past four years,” Jesse Rao, a high school student in the southern city of Shenzhen, told the AFP news agency. “I have done everything I can but I still feel a little bit nervous.”
In Beijing, nervous parents gathered around exam halls with several of their children wearing red for good luck. Zhang Jing, a mother in her 40s, compared herself with Bai Suzhen, a character in Chinese folklore who is locked in a tower until her son passes a significant test
“My son is relaxed. I think I’m more nervous than him,” said Jing, wearing a traditional qipao dress.
She explained, “I have been accompanying my son and instructing his study from the first grade of elementary school to the first year of high school.” “After the exam, I will be completely relaxed.”
‘A life experience’
The gaokao tests school leavers on core subjects such as mathematics, Chinese and English languages and other science or humanities subjects of their choice. Performance is critical for entrance to China’s most prestigious universities.
Chinese students spend between 60 and 150 minutes on every subject with the exams lasting up to four days. The maximum score is 750, with Chinese students needing more than 600 points to secure a place at the top universities.
Last year, only 3% of those who took the exam in Guangdong scored over 600. In an editorial, the state-run Global Times noted while the exam had changed a little over the years, it remained a key test for young Chinese.
