About Gaokao (高考)

Each June, millions of students across China sit for the Gaokao (高考), a national college entrance examination that is widely regarded as one of the most intense and influential tests in the world. For many, it represents not just an academic challenge, but a defining moment that can shape future careers, educational pathways, and family expectations.

What is the Gaokao?

The Gaokao - short for "National Higher Education Entrance Examination" - is a multi-day exam covering subjects such as:

• Chinese literature and writing

• Mathematics

• Foreign languages (mostly English)

• Additional subjects depending on the student's track (sciences vs humanities)

Although nearly every Chinese student must take it to enter university, the competition for top schools is harsh. Prestigious institutions like Tsinghua University or Peking University admit only a tiny fraction of test takers.

Tsinghua University

Origins of Gaokao

Historically, the Gaokao traces its roots to China's imperial examination system, first launched in the Sui dynasty (600CE) and expanded under the Song dynasty around 1000CE. Those exam systems, focused on Confucian texts, offered a rare path for social mobility and helped establish the cultural belief that education could change one's status. The system ended in 1905, but after 1949, the new PRC government created a university entrance exam as its successor.

The Gaokao was suspended during the Cultural Revolution and reinstated in 1977 under Deng Xiaoping, becoming central to China's modernization and taken by millions each year as the key gateway to higher education and opportunity.

Why it matters so much

Unlike college applications in many countries that consider extracurriculars, essays, or recommendation letters, the Gaokao places enormous weight on a single score. That sole score determines which universities are within reach. For students from rural or less affluent regions, the exam is often viewed as a powerful pathway to upward mobility.

Parents and teachers invest heavily in preparation, and entire communities rally around students during exam week - reducing noise around schools, closing roads, and even adjusting factory schedules to maintain quiet testing conditions.

Pressure and Critique

With such high pressure, the Gaokao is controversial. Critics argue that:

• It creates intense stress and serious health problems for teenagers.

• It prioritizes memorization over creativity.

• It reinforces educational inequality between regions.

To support, according to *Radio Free Asia, only around 10% makes to honors degree programs across the country. Moreover, securing an undergraduate place at Bejing's Tsinghua or Peking University is only around 5 in 10,000, in accordance with the data from The Paper last year. Students are expected to start the day at 5:30am with mass exercise programs, followed by a full day of class, with personal study until at least 10:00am. They get very little sleep, which means that they are tired all the time, instilling little love of learning towards youth.

Yet supporters point out that it offers a standardized and transparent way to allocate university chances in a country of over a billion people.

*Radio Free Asia https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/gaokao-university-entrance-exams-06102024165502.html

Beyond stereotypes

While the Gaokao is demanding, it has helped produce students with strong foundations in math, science, and problem-solving skills. Chinese students consistently perform well in international academic competitions and assessments, and many go on to top universities and research labs around the world. Their success reflects not only individual dedication, but also a deep cultural belief in the value of education. Seen from this perspective, the Gaokao is more than a high-stakes exam; it is a part of a broader system that has prepared generations of students to compete and collaborate on a global stage.