More than 13 million Chinese candidates enter the world's most fierce 'Gaokao' exam

Hơn 13 triệu thí sinh Trung Quốc bước vào kỳ 'Cao khảo' khốc liệt hàng đầu thế giới

China's college entrance examination (also known as Gaokao) is considered one of the most competitive exams for Chinese teenagers. (Source: ZhejiangEducation Evaluation Center)

In recent years, 29 provinces across China have rolled out comprehensive reforms of the college entrance examination.

In February 2025, the Ministry of Education of China issued a Circular on preparing for the 2025 college and university entrance examination, stating that the fifth group of provinces implementing comprehensive reform of the college entrance examination, including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Sichuan , Yunnan, Shaanxi, Qinghai and Ningxia, must make every effort to effectively implement the work related to the new college entrance examination.

Accordingly, the new university entrance exam applies the “3+1+2” model, in which “3” are the three unified university entrance exam subjects: Literature, Mathematics and Foreign Language. “1” and “2” are optional subjects, “1” means choosing one subject from Physics or History, and “2” means choosing two subjects from Political Ideology, Geography, Chemistry and Biology.

It is known that before the exam took place, the Ministry of Education and relevant departments of the country had given special instructions, requiring localities to implement the principle of considering candidates as the center, continue to carry out the "campaign to support the university entrance exam", actively and effectively deploy the work of comprehensively ensuring security and order, travel, accommodation, noise control, disease prevention, psychological counseling, etc.

At the same time, fully prepare conditions to respond to many emergency situations such as severe weather and natural disasters that may occur during the exam period, strengthen emergency response, and ensure the university entrance exam takes place safely, smoothly and successfully.

Along with that, the Chinese Ministry of Education will also coordinate with relevant departments and branches to ensure the safety of the university entrance exam, prevent cheating in all aspects, and ensure fairness and integrity. Accordingly, measures to strengthen management will be implemented synchronously in many aspects. Localities are directed to coordinate in carrying out specialized activities to purify the online environment related to the exam, remove fake public accounts related to the exam, purify the environment around the exam location, suppress the purchase and sale of cheating devices, cheating through intermediaries, manage training facilities related to the exam, and resolutely handle violations of the law and crimes related to the exam according to the law.

The country of a billion people has also strengthened its human, material and technical precautions. Strictly implement security checks at entrances, promote the upgrading of smart security gate functions, and strengthen key inspections of illegal items such as mobile phones, smart watches (bracelets), and smart glasses. Strengthen the construction of standardized examination sites, ensure coverage of radio signal shielding at examination sites, strengthen supervision and inspection of examination sites, actively promote smart inspection, and create a tight and solid security network for the examination.

In particular, the Chinese Ministry of Education emphasizes the strengthening of integrity education in the examination. Through the signing of the “College Entrance Examination Integrity” pledge, the agency warns against violations of the law, irregularities, etc., and guides candidates to build correct values and perspectives on examinations, and have a sense of anti-cheating.

China’s college entrance examination (also known as Gaokao) is considered one of the most competitive exams for Chinese teenagers. Only 40% of test takers are admitted to universities, of which only about 2% are admitted to the top 38 universities in China, only 0.05% can enter the prestigious Tsinghua University and Peking University.

During the Gaokao, commercial and military flights are detoured, traffic around exam sites is tightly controlled, drivers are prohibited from honking, and construction sites are closed.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hon-13-trieu-thi-sinh-trung-quoc-buoc-vao-ky-cao-khao-khoc-liet-hang-dau-the-gioi-316886.html