Latest news with #NationalHigherEducationEntranceExamination
NDTV
17-07-2025
- General
- NDTV
Explained: Why China's Gaokao Is Considered The World's Toughest Exam
The Gaokao exam, considered one of the toughest in the world, requires students to take extreme measures to achieve top scores - including "use of IV drips, meant to help them concentrate while studying", "teenage girls taking contraceptives to delay their periods until after the test", and enduring poor quality and quantity of sleep, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP). What is Gaokao and How Did It Get So Hard? Gaokao, a Chinese word meaning "high test," refers to the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. It is typically conducted every June and lasts about 10 hours over multiple days. The Gaokao examination tests three main subjects- Mathematics, Chinese Language and a Foreign Language and three other subjects specific to the students' education and career goals. The other subjects are chosen from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Politics, History and Geography. As per the South China Morning Post, some questions that have appeared in the recent Mathematics examinations were considered beyond high school level. In mainland China, Gaokao is the only exam that determines whether a student can get into a university or not. College entrance exams around the world are divided into two main categories - assessment and selective examinations. Assessment examinations such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) examination is US reflect the overall academic knowledge of the students, while selective examinations like China's Gaokao and "suneung" in South Korea help select students directly for top universities. More than 10 million candidates have appeared for the GAOKAO examinations since 2019 and in 2024, of the 13.4 million candidates who took the test, only 40 per cent could score enough to get admission in university. There are 2,820 higher education institutions in China and of them, only 115 have been included in Project 211, a program that determines the Institute's excellence in education. Getting admission into these universities is expected to help students secure a bright future ahead. The national average acceptance rate at Project 211 schools is only 5 per cent, meaning that in 2024, each of the top 115 universities admitted, on average, just 5,800 students out of 13.4 million applicants. On an average, Chinese students spent 60 hours per week studying and some even stop going to Middle school to solely focus on their Gaokao exam with the help of private tutor. The pressure of Gaokao begins early, often in middle school, and is known to cause severe stress, anxiety, and depression. More than half of the students who committed suicide in Shenzen, China did so while under extreme pressure, as per the report published by Shenzen's bureau of education.
The Star
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Tech takes centre stage as Chinese students weigh up major choices
Like millions of Chinese students, 18-year-old He Junjie is anxiously waiting to see which university and major will admit him after last month's intensely competitive National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or gaokao . After evaluating his score and studying the universities and programmes he qualified for, He focused on engineering when submitting his applications a few weeks ago. Information and communications technology, as well as vehicle engineering, were the top choices, the young man from east China's Zhejiang province said, because they 'represent the direction of future industrial development'. 'Many of my classmates have also chosen majors related to new technology and engineering, because we think there's quite a lot of demand for such talent in Hangzhou,' He said, referring to the provincial capital that is home to artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek and humanoid robotics firm Unitree Robotics. While international trade and urban planning were among the most popular subjects with students two decades ago, when China joined the World Trade Organization and its property market started to boom, a new wave of technology-focused academic priorities is reshaping higher education. Engineering disciplines related to possible technological advancements have reigned supreme as China's state-driven system funnels students into such fields amid intensified tech competition with the United States. While interest in technology is also rising in the US, experts said interest in the technical and liberal arts was better balanced there, reflecting a flexible and market-driven system and a broader range of career paths. 'New engineering has been quite popular in recent years because it points to good employment prospects, either in terms of the number of jobs or the amount of government investment,' said Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher at the Beijing-based China National Academy of Educational Sciences think tank. Introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2017 and gaining traction in recent years, 'new engineering' encompasses a range of interdisciplinary and emerging majors designed to align with technological advancements and industry needs. They cover fields including AI and data science, intelligent manufacturing, robotics and bioengineering. But such preferences were often 'short-sighted and utilitarian' and lacked the support of personal passion, which meant that many graduates might only be able to perform at a relatively low level, Chu warned. Chinese students have flocked to such disciplines over the past few years as universities have accelerated adjustments of priorities. Shanghai's Fudan University, a top institution known for its strength in liberal arts, announced earlier this year that it would reduce the proportion of liberal arts admissions from over 30% to 20% to make more room for engineering students. It will offer over 1,000 undergraduate admission slots in engineering this year, accounting for nearly 30% of its total enrolment plan and representing a year-on-year increase of over 20%, according to an announcement released in May. The adjustment of university majors is a response to national strategic priorities, as Beijing emphasises technology-driven economic growth and promotes high-end manufacturing. Over the past decade, the Ministry of Education has approved about 20,000 new undergraduate programmes covering 655 majors, with engineering majors accounting for the highest number, according to research from Huazhong University of Science and Technology that was published in March. American families are not as utilitarian, and there is no phenomenon of society or the government guiding the choice of majors There had been a similar trend in the US as universities shifted their focus from diversity, equity and inclusion to employment outcomes following US President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, said Chen Hang, co-founder of WholeRen Group, an education consultancy based in Pittsburgh. 'This means that people are becoming more pragmatic in their choice of majors, leaning towards fields like technology, healthcare and education,' he said. Chen gave the example of the University of California, a leading public research university, where its computer science master's programme has an enrolment quota of 500 students but received 7,000 applications. In contrast, other programmes at the university had vacancies, he said, citing its president. But social science degrees were still popular in the US because they were relatively easier to acquire and represented career versatility, he said. Compared with Chinese families, 'American families are not as utilitarian, and there is no phenomenon of society or the government guiding the choice of majors', he added. While engineering dominates in China, accounting for 36% of undergraduates in 2022 according to data from Statista, the rate in the US is 5%. Business is the top major in the US, accounting for 19% of undergraduates in the 2021–2022 academic year, followed by health professions and social sciences, according to data from the National Centre for Education Statistics. But that did not mean America was weaker in technological innovation than China, Chu, the Beijing researcher, said. 'For any individual to achieve their best, they must independently choose to pursue what interests them,' he said, adding that following that logic, the emphasis on personal enthusiasm in the US ultimately led to higher societal efficiency. Having been consulted by many Chinese students on which fields to study over the past decades, he said 'few had a clear idea what they wanted to do in the future and picked majors accordingly'. – South China Morning Post
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
China's Gaokao 2025: 13.35 million students wrote national entrance exam for university admissions
China came to a standstill on Saturday as millions of anxious parents crowded around exam centres all over the country, with 13.35 million students taking a highly competitive national entrance exam that will determine their future. The National Higher Education Entrance Examination, commonly known as Gaokao, determines eligibility for admission to Chinese universities. Official media reported that 13.35 million students took the exam all over China this year. However, it was less than last year's 13.42 million. India's JEE Main vs China's Gaokao: Which exam is tougher? Like every year, millions of parents cheered their children going into the exam centres with bouquets wishing them well and anxiously waited outside with goodies to greet them when they came out. It is also an event during which police deploy drones and high-tech equipment to provide security and ensure the exam was held in a fair atmosphere without fraud. To ensure smooth traffic for students, cities across China stepped up efforts with temporary traffic controls around test centres, keeping the roads clear and congestion at bay. For students facing travel difficulties, many cities rolled out free ride services. Some exam halls installed AI-powered surveillance systems that can flag unusual behaviour and rule violations in real time, effectively eliminating any opportunity for cheating, state-run Xinhua reported. Considering its importance, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang went on an inspection tour to a middle school in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, during which he emphasised the need to uphold fairness and ensure safety in the national examination. 'Since its reinstatement in 1977, Gaokao, the unified exam, has transformed millions of lives through merit-based selection,' the Xinhua report said, adding, 'As a powerful social equaliser, it reinforces the belief that with hard work and determination, any student can shape a successful future.' According to the latest available figures from the Ministry of Education, China's gross enrolment rate in higher education had surpassed 60 per cent by 2023, with more than 47 million students studying at colleges and universities that year. Every year, over 12 million Chinese graduates enter the job market, which is steadily shrinking due to a slowdown in the economy.
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Business Standard
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Over 13 million students take China's crucial Gaokao University exam
China on Saturday came to a standstill as millions of anxious parents crowded around exam centres all over the country as 13.35 million students wrote a highly competitive national entrance exam which will determine their future. The National Higher Education Entrance Examination, called Gaokao, determines the eligibility for admission to Chinese universities. Official media reported that 13.35 million students took the exam all over China this year. However, it was less than last year's 13.42 million. Like every year, millions of parents cheered their children going into the exam centres with bouquets wishing them well and anxiously waited outside with goodies to greet them when they came out. It is also an event during which police deploy drones and high-tech equipment to provide security and ensure the exam was held in a fair atmosphere without fraud. To ensure smooth traffic for students, cities across China stepped up efforts with temporary traffic controls around test centres, keeping the roads clear and congestion at bay. For students facing travel difficulties, many cities rolled out free ride services. Some exam halls installed AI-powered surveillance systems that can flag unusual behaviour and rule violations in real time, effectively eliminating any opportunity for cheating, state-run Xinhua reported. Considering its importance, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang went on inspection tour to middle school in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, during which he emphasised the need to uphold fairness and ensure safety in the national examination. Since its reinstatement in 1977, Gaokao, the unified exam has transformed millions of lives through merit-based selection, the Xinhua report said, adding, As a powerful social equaliser, it reinforces the belief that with hard work and determination, any student can shape a successful future. According to the latest available figures from the Ministry of Education, China's gross enrolment rate in higher education had surpassed 60 per cent by 2023 with more than 47 million students studying at colleges and universities that year. Every year over 12 million Chinese graduates enter the job market which is steadily shrinking due to slow down in the economy.
South China Morning Post
08-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How a Shanghai NGO is simplifying the concept of charity
On a rainy Saturday evening, more than 100 attendees are crammed into a small community centre in Shanghai's leafy Xinhua Road to listen to a conversation between Australian philosopher Peter Singer and Chinese political scientist Lin Yao. The topic of discussion: how to live an ethical life. Advertisement The talk last October was one of several community events organised by Charity Box, a Shanghai NGO, as part of its '1% Pledge' campaign, which asks ordinary Chinese people to donate 1 per cent of their income to charity every month. In its first year, the campaign signed up around 520 people, with total donations surpassing 500,000 yuan (HK$536,000). The goal is to transform charity into a lifestyle, says Li Zhilin, Charity Box's co-founder and director. While charitable giving rates in China have sharply risen since 2008, donations still account for less than 0.1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product, compared with around 2 per cent in the United States. Through systematising donations and fostering a community of like-minded people, Li says his organisation is pushing back against the narrative that young Chinese people simply want to ' lie flat '. Hailing from Hefei, capital of the eastern province of Anhui, Li studied political science and economics at the University of Hong Kong after scoring in the top 0.05 per cent of his cohort in the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or gaokao. As a Jockey Club scholar, Li was himself a beneficiary of philanthropy as all his tuition fees and living costs were paid for by Hong Kong's largest community benefactor. Charity Box and guest speakers participating in the effective giving session of Do Good Have Fun Conference in Moganshan Zhejiang, in June 2024. Photo: courtesy Zhilin Li It was at HKU that Li came across Singer's influential 1972 paper 'Famine, Affluence and Morality', which argued that people have a moral duty to help those in need if doing so would not be too much of a sacrifice. Inspired by Singer, who donates a quarter of his income to charity, Li began donating 10 per cent of his.
