To study for college entrance exams, many students always wake up early and go to bed after midnight, throughout their four years of high school.
Millions of Chinese students are taking the notoriously tough college entrance exam (gaokao) starting June 7. The country’s Ministry of Education said nearly 13 million candidates have registered to take the exam, the highest number since the exam began in 1952.
"I have been waking up at 4am every day, except Sundays, to study for the past four years," AFP quoted Jesse Rao, a 17-year-old high school student in Shenzhen city.
“I did everything I could but I still feel a little nervous,” Rao said.
Yang Min, 19, a student in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, also had mixed feelings. Min hoped the exam would take her from a small city to Beijing to attend China Foreign Affairs University, helping her dream of becoming a diplomat come true.
She said she always wakes up before 6am and goes to bed after midnight to prepare for the "biggest test" of her life.
Students arrive at the exam site at Beijing No. 4 High School on the morning of June 7. Photo: China Daily
In Beijing this morning, anxious parents gathered around the exam area. Zhang Jing, a parent in her 40s, compared herself to Bai Suzhen, a character in Chinese folklore who was locked in a tower until her son passed an important test.
"My son is quite relaxed. I think I'm more worried than he is. I've been with him and guided him from first grade to the beginning of high school. After this exam, I'll be completely relaxed," Jing said.
Many Chinese parents are willing to spend hundreds of dollars a month to send their children to exam preparation centers or hire tutors to study with them late into the night. This year’s test takers have been studying online for much of their time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I struggled to study online last year. Teachers held extra classes in the evenings and on weekends, which helped us catch up,” said Katherina Wang, a high school student in Shanghai who has experienced two lockdowns in the past two years.
Parents wait for their children at the exam site of Beijing No. 80 High School on the morning of June 7. Photo: China Daily
The gaokao results are believed to determine the future academic path and career of Chinese students. Candidates must complete four exams, including Chinese, Foreign Language, Mathematics and a combined exam in Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) or Social Sciences (Geography, History, Politics).
The maximum score on the exam is 750. With more than 2,700 universities and colleges nationwide, the score determines which schools a candidate gets into. Typically, to gain a spot at the top schools, a candidate needs to score more than 600 points. However, few achieve that score. Last year, only 3% of candidates in Guangdong, China’s most populous province, scored above 600 points.
Many candidates who did not achieve the desired results will look for opportunities next year. In 2021, 17% of Chinese students registered to retake the exam.
"I will continue taking the exam if I don't pass this year," said Benjamin Zhu, a high school student in Guangzhou.
Binh Minh (According to AFP )
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