Edmond Giang

The Gaokao

Chapter 1

Background
Mao Zedong: Leader of the Chinese Communist Party

!
After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, the
Chinese were motivated to move their education
system towards "economic modernization". Due to the
importance of a strong education, in 1985, the
government funded the nine year compulsory
education system. Everyone in China had to attend
school for at least nine years. Chinese education
consists of six years of primary education and three
years of secondary education. For primary education,
elementary and middle school, attendance has been at
99% and for primary education, high school,
attendance has been at 80%.

Mao Zedong thinks PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) school is great

!
In 1985, the government scrapped tax-funded
higher education. As a result of this, university
applicants now compete for scholarships based on
academics, only. Unlike the Chinese school systems,
American school systems oer scholarships on a
wide range of areas, like sports, music, and arts. For
Chinese students, to get into a good college, their
grades in school and on the Gaokao, are both

important factors that will strongly aect their

future.

What is the Gaokao?

!

The Gaokao, literally meaning "high test" () is

given to every student in China at the end of their last

year of senior high school. It is given once a year around
June, and students may only have one opportunity every
year. Registration of the test ranges from around 80 yuan
to 200 yuan depending on the province. For example Beijing Gaokao registration is only 100 yuan. The point of
the Gaokao is to test the students ability to write, think,
and compute. It covers all major topics ranging from
math to chemistry and social studies. With only nine
hours in a two day span, this test is considered to be a
stressful and feared two day testing marathon for students across China.
!
The Gaokao consists of three main topics and a science section which is a choice of two subsequent topics.
The main topics include math, English, and Chinese Literature. Subsequent subjects of science consists of biology, physics, and chemistry or humanities. An addition to
the test is also an 800 character essay which poses dicult questions like, "What would Thomas Edison think of
mobile phones if he were alive today? " and prompts like,
"Some men see things as they are and say, why. I dream
things that never were and say, why not." According to
the majority of students the essay is the most dreaded
piece of the test.

Chapter 2

Preparation

!
!
Chinese schooling teaches students the fundamentals of all subjects leading up to the Gaokao. It is only the entire
final year of senior high where teachers specifically prepare students for the test. Students opt to take extra classes
after school on specific topics to help with preparation. Some students even have extra classes that are hours on end
and take up most of their weekend. Study time consists of hours of reading and analysis, repetitive writing, and
computing problems. During this time students are hitting the books and working harder than any other year of
school.

"Some of my friends when

I was in school would
study from when they got
up until around one or two
in the morning," says Lina,
a local Beijing eye doctor.
Some students go to the
extremes by hooking themselves up to IV's filled
with amino acids and or
taking oxygen to fuel marathon study sessions. The
stakes are high, so the
preparation is intense.

last year in my high

school, my eyesight failed
badly since we were almost
buried every day in book
stacks. We got up at 6:30
AM and studied 'til 10:30
PM or even later. And we
only had a half-day o of
school per week. Almost
no entertainment activities at all."

Students take oxygen

!
Global Post researcher
Zhao Chen says "I remember that when I was in the
Students might often take short breaks to relieve
stress by doing activities like this trust fall.

!
Studying for the GaoThere is a lot of pressure
kao is especially important on Chinese students.
to the rural students. In rural areas students buckle
down more so than city students because the education isn't as strong. Because
of this students must spend
hours upon hours preparing for the test. Many rural
students live in poverty so
doing well on the Gaokao
can be the only opportunity to get into a good college and maybe acquire a
job that could support
their families in the future.

Families pray to Confucius: Chinas great educator

Chapter 3

Security
Police Drone to detect frequencies from
inside the classroom

!
Before, during, and after the Gaokao is taken, there are many security and safety measures made. Being the most
feared test of a student's life, means to cheat is tempting. But during the Gaokao there is zero tolerance for cheaters.
Cheaters can get arrested, fined and suspended from school. For the test to get transported safely from one school to
another, they are put into armored police vehicles. These vehicles must then pass through fenced o school guards that
monitor outside the school. When the tests get to classrooms there is usually a camera installed to watch over the
students. Recently police drones fly around the school to monitor and detect frequencies from microphones and
earpieces.

Monitoring classrooms

Pens with microphones

Complex tank top rigged with electronic

equipment

!
Multiple cases of cheating were reported with
students having hidden microphones in their pens,
coins, glasses, undergarments and even a tank top
rigged with technological equipment. After the test is
completed they go back into the armored police cars
and shipped to get graded. Security is high. Many students seem to crash under the pressure of the test as
well. "Some students may faint", says a Beijing Emergency Medical Center doctor, Xin, We have prepared some medical services accordingly. In 2011, L
Pin, an 18-year-old student in Hunan Province
jumped o the sixth floor of his dorm and committed
suicide. This was because he was 15 minutes late to
the exam and was denied entry.2 There are also multiple cases of suicides even before the test
because the stress was too hard on the students.
Again the stakes are high and the pressure is fierce.
8

Chapter 4

Studying Abroad

!
Due to the fear of taking the Gaokao, many Chinese students choose to study abroad to avoid taking the test. In
2008 the number of Gaokao applicants peaked at around 10.5 million test takers. Since then, the number of students
who choose to study abroad has grown. In 2011 the number of Chinese students rose by 23% in the United States
alone. Now there are approximately 200,000 Chinese students attending American universities. One of these students included Xi Mingze, daughter of Xi Jinping, the president of China. Xi Mingze studied French during high
school at Hangzhou Foreign Language School. In 2011 she enrolled at Harvard University to study English and psychology, all while under a pseudonym; which is a fake identity essentially. Last year only around 9.42 million Chinese

students took the Gaokao, a decline of about 1.3 million students since 2008! Many Chinese also consider
western universities and colleges rather than Chinese
universities. Many parents especially believe that,
through experience, many of students burn out after
three years of cramming so much information into
their heads. Due to this many lose interest in learning
and what they want to major in. So this drives many
families to encourage their children to go to a good
western university instead of taking the Gaokao. Attending a Chinese university might not spark the light
of inspiration back into their children. Parents always
want what they think is best for their child.

Xi Mingze
10

Chapter 5

After the Fact

After taking the Gaokao, like any other test, a student will fail, pass or succeed. The Gaokao grade is essential for
getting into universities or finding a good job in the future that could support your family. There are three main
!

university types you can attend in China. There is yi ben (), the best national Chinese universities, er ben ()
more average province specific universities, and san ben () which are private colleges for students who usually fail
the test and students who are mentally challenged. In city areas of China, schools are funded better and have a better
education system for the students.

Beijing University of Technology

!
In many rural areas of China, schools are less
wealthy and don't have the funding to support a
child's education as much as city schools. In Beijing
and Tianjin, two large and highly populated cities,
have about 24% of students go to schools. But
in provinces like Sichuan, a more rural and povertystricken province of China, only has about 5.34% of
students making it to schools. Many students
in areas like Sichuan attend a school.

Harvard University accepts international students

Failing Students:
!
For students who fail the Gaokao they have the
choice of studying again and retaking the Gaokao
the following year. Though this is a good option for
students who have the drive to pass the Gaokao,
many don't take this opportunity. This is due to the
fact that after three years of endless studying, the
students who have burned out just decide to live

12

with what they got. Some student's passion for

learning is given up after failing the Gaokao. Wang
Xia from Nanjing City however, at 86 years old, last
year took his 15th attempt at the Gaokao. He has
failed every time, but he is a motivational tool for
students across China to succeed.
!
Doing poorly on the exam will hinder a student's success in life. Most students are heartbroken
when they get their hands on their failing test.
Some parents stick with the quote, "If my child
fails, the whole family fails". After the completion

ing. There are even people who dig through the garbage looking for bottles to recycle just to make a little cash. Even when a job is acquired, many other
Chinese people frown upon street cleaners and labor workers. A lot of people are rude and believe
they have the right to push "lower" people around
just based on their work. Doing poorly on the Gaokao can lead to a rough life, the pay is low and you
can barely support a family. In many parents eyes
"you have failed the family and yourself ".

of the students go out looking for a job to help

support their families. On their resume is their Gaokao test score. Looking for a job can be hard because a lot of companies look for people with good
previous occupations and great academic grades.
There have been some cases where the manager
would take one glance at someone's test score, rip
their resume, and throws it back to their face. Since
finding a job is very dicult, many students resort
to jobs that involve manual labor. Common jobs include, construction work, janitorial work, and farm-

Chinese street cleaner

13

Passing students:
!

Students who pass the exam usually go to , the

more average province colleges. At schools, stu-

studies. I went to the number one doctoral university in China

and got my Masters Degree. This school is also where I met my
husband. Since then I am now an eye doctor and live happily
with my husband and son."

dents have many opportunities to continue studying on

their majors and could possibly become very successful
in their line of work. Lina tells me her story of how she
struggled on the Gaokao and was sent to an school.
"When I was a little girl, I lived in Henan, one of the
poorer provinces in China. The education at my school was not
nearly as good as my son's now in the city. But, I was always the
top of my class. I always worked very hard for my grades. Before the Gaokao my parents and teachers expected me to go to an
ivy league university. When it got to the Gaokao I felt very
sick. I spent the last three years studying for this test and I was
extremely nervous. It was dicult to concentrate and towards
the end of the test I did poorly. My final mark was not as impres'

sive as my grades at school. So I was sent to an school. I

was in shock and upset with myself for not meeting my expecta-

Linas Story

tions. But I worked very hard at my school. I came out doing very well and I continued to pursue my major in doctoral
14

Successful Students:
Student who do well on the Gaokao tend to
have an easier time getting into universities and
finding high quality jobs. The majority of successful
!

students go to and may pursue their majors.

Many students want to have high paying jobs like a
doctor, lawyer, and engineer. These people are the
ones that most company managers want to have
working for them. They are smart and they know
what they are doing. Most become being wealthy
and have more than enough money to support their
families.

One very sought out job for Chinese people is a doctoral position

Emblem of the People's Court of the People's Republic of China

15

Chapter 6

! Conclusion

!
Overall the Gaokao is still a high pressure testing marathon feared by high
school students across China. But some people believe it to be fair and a great
opportunity for all students. Frank, an English teacher at the Jing Shan Yuan Yang
school in Beijing, told me, The Gaokao is fair to some extent. It is hard and jobs can
be low paid if the test is failed, but China has made it as fair as possible to give
people a chance. The Gaokao is the most extreme and dicult test for Chinese
students and it can alter someones life entirely. It is a test that can make the poor
rich or the rich richer.
Frank

Bibliography
Kristo, Gregory. China GaoKao Reflects Importance
And Extremes Of Nation's College Entrance Exam June
11 2012
http://www.hungtonpost.com/2012/06/07/china-gaokao
_n_1578905.html

Cartson, Benjamin. "You thought the SAT was bad

Meet the gaokao June 7 2013
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pa
cific/china/130607/chinagaokao-exam

Mclenethan, John. Think The SAT Is Tough? It's Nothing Compared To China's Dreaded College Entrance
Exam July 5 2014
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemcclenathan/2012/07/05
/think-the-sat-is-tough-at-least-its-not-chinas-college-entr
ance-exam/#387e7cd43e66

Schrock, John, Richards. The gaokao The test where

time stands still June 13
2014
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20
140612091916875
xvii

Chapter 1: Background
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