Over 9.5 mln Chinese compete in world’s largest exam

University Campus
Originally uploaded by Rob Stevens.

The national college entrance examination, or “gaokao” in Chinese, will last for two days for students in Hunan Province.

China is in the grips of summer “gaokao” madness. Success in the gaokao can play a huge role in a students future options for higher education and ultimately future employment.

The Ministry of Education said earlier that a record 10.1 million people had applied to take the exam this year, but only 5.67 million would be able to enter college.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the national college entrance examination. Chinese universities stopped enrolling students from 1966 to 1976, due to the political turmoil of the Cultural Revolution.

Over the past three decades, almost 60 million Chinese have taken part in gaokao, with 10 million enrolled at universities.