For most Chinese people, the days they took the gaokao, the national college entrance exam, is etched in their memory as a pivotal moment—often referred to as “a fate-changing exam for many.”
The high-stakes exam can alter the course of one’s life as it allows the opportunity to gain admission into China’s colleges or universities. And the higher the gaokao score obtained, the higher the chance a student gets into a top-tier university—impacting their lifelong economic and social status.
Minutes after the conclusion of the gaokao’s Chinese exam on the morning of June 7, discussions related to its essay topics quickly surged to the top of Weibo’s trending list, with Weibo being the Chinese equivalent of X.
Each year, the essay topics garner considerable attention as they reflect the latest societal developments and the evolving expectations placed on the younger generations.
“I think people love to check the essay topics every year because it evokes memories of their own gaokao experience and allows them to empathize with the current exam-takers. The essay segment of the exam may be the only section that they can still directly engage with,” 28-year-old Zhang Jiahuan, who has upheld the tradition of composing an essay based on her province’s gaokao topics every year since her high school graduation almost 10 years ago, told Beijing Review.
The hardest ever?
Currently, the gaokao consists of three compulsory subjects—Chinese, math and English, and their subject questions are set by the Ministry of Education. Elective subjects include chemistry, physics, biology, history, political science and geography. Over the course of two to four days, varying by provincial-level region, students take exams in six subjects.
As usual, this year’s gaokao took place in early June, but what was rather unusual was that this edition saw more than 13.42 million students competing for their dream schools, up from 12.91 million last year and a historical high since the gaokao was reinstated in 1977 after its abolishment in 1966.
This is why many parents deemed this edition “the hardest one ever.”
Many provincial-level regions saw record-breaking numbers of students registering for the test.
In an editorial on Eol.cn, a website focused on education in China, Chen Zhiwen, a researcher at the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, analyzed the primary factors contributing to this year’s surge.
First, this year’s statistics took into account the registrations from vocational high school students. In the past, these students often opted out of taking the gaokao in favor of enrolling at vocational colleges. But recent years have seen more vocational school students choosing to pursue higher education. Second, the broadened accessibility and affordability of high school education have provided more people with the opportunity to chase their college aspirations.
Chen further reassured parents and students that concerns about college admission prospects are unnecessary, as many universities have launched plans to admit more students, and have introduced new majors that cater to societal needs.
In April, the Ministry of Education announced the approval of 24 new majors in higher education institutions, bringing the number of undergraduate programs to 1,456. These majors will welcome their first student cohort this upcoming fall semester.
Family and social forces
The gaokao examination process always implements strict measures, including a security check, mobile signal jammers and metal detectors, as well as groups of trained supervisors, to detect and prevent cheating, ensuring the fairness of test results.
This year, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology were integrated into the procedures.
The AI system utilized high-definition cameras to monitor every movement of students, leaving no blind spots. Any abnormal behaviors could swiftly be detected, such as the unusually fast completion of questions, sudden head tilting, passing of suspicious items, or prolonged placement of hands under the table.
Beyond the examination halls, governmental and social entities mobilized their resources to facilitate a smooth gaokao process. Local education departments set up temporary facilities, providing essential supplies like medication, stationery, water and food. Police patrols in the vicinity of exam sites were intensified, issuing notices to vehicles and pedestrians to minimize disturbance.
“We dispatched a dedicated traffic police team to ensure road safety and tranquility around the exam sites. Special response vehicles were deployed to address any requests from students and their families,” a policeman from Chongqing Municipality’s Jiangbei District told news portal Shangyou.
Additionally, some schools organized special buses to transport students to the exam venues, ensuring timely arrival for those facing transportation challenges. Motorists were urged to give way to these buses marked with “gaokao” signage.
“I even received an emergency package from my school containing preventive medicines,” an exam-taker surnamed Zhang from Anhui Province told Beijing Review. “And when one of my classmates forgot to bring her ID card, which you need to get into the exam hall, a policeman took her home to get the card and got her back in time for the test. We felt really lucky to be getting this much help.”
What’s next?
After the conclusion of the gaokao, many students are heading straight into what might very well be one of the most relaxing summers of their lives. For many parents, however, there’s still much to be done to make sure their kids can get into the “best school available” with their scores.
“We’ve heard about students getting into ‘undesired’ schools with good grades, and we don’t want that happen to our daughter,” Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, parents of an examinee in Hebei Province, told Beijing Review. “Choosing a college and major can be a life-altering decision, and you can never spend too much on that.”
The Zhous have ordered a 5,000-yuan ($688) college application consulting service for their daughter. The service consists of four hours of consulting based on the students’ grades, personal preferences in terms of school location and major, and career plan. The consultancy staff will then assist in filling out the application form. Similar service products are usually priced 2,000 to 15,000 yuan ($275-2,065), depending on the hours of service required.
The Zhous said they have learned that many of their daughter’s friends’ parents are also opting to pay for this type of service.
“Most parents within our social circle are not education specialists and we are all too busy with work to do this. We believe it’s better to pay those who are proficient in this,” they said.
The combination of the difficulty of filling out the college application forms and parents’ willingness to spend on their children’s education has boosted the rise of related businesses in recent years.
According to a 2023 report issued by iiMedia, a third-party consulting agency, China’s college application service-related consumption had reached 950 million yuan ($130.8 million) in 2023, compared to 130 million yuan (17.9 million) in 2016.
The gaokao economy
Every year, the end of the gaokao means there is another batch of students who, after working hard in school for years on end, are ready for a jubilant summer vacation and then college life in fall.
The term “gaokao economy” refers to the flourishing of the makeup, hair dressing, clothing, orthodontia, medical aesthetics, car, smart electronic appliance and graduation tourism industries, which lasts from mid-June to September, with thousands of parents endorsing their children to get a new look, go on vacation with classmates, and get all they need for college life.
From June 9 until late August 2023, the number of orders from gaokao students increased, nearly doubling compared to the 2022 data, with 40 percent of these students booking long-distance trips for ultimate relaxation, according to Trip.com, a leading travel platform in China.
On Xiaohongshu, a popular lifestyle and e-commerce app, gaokao students are once again scrolling through graduation tour plans, making the hashtag “graduation tour with friends” one of the hottest on the platform at the time of writing.
Travel plans aside, some students are ready to take off their school uniforms and “look like an adult.”
On June 11, Chen Yumei took her daughter, who sat for the gaokao this year, to get a fresh haircut and some new clothes. In one day, she spent 3,900 yuan ($537) on her daughter’s “makeover.”
“My daughter has been dreaming of this day for so long,” Chen Yumei, who lives in Hebei, told Beijing Review. “We had her hair dyed and curled, which she could never do due to school regulations and the very little time she had to take care of her hair, and I bought her eight fashionable outfits that she can wear on her graduation tour in July.” –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
