National College Entrance Examination

The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), commonly known as Gaokao (高考; gāokǎo; 'High[er Education] Exam'), is an academic examination held annually in the People's Republic of China.[note 1] This standardized test is a prerequisite for entrance into almost all higher education institutions at the undergraduate level. It is usually taken by students in their last year of senior high school, though there has been no age restriction since 2001.

National College Entrance Examination
Simplified Chinese普通高等学校招生全国统一考试
Higher education exam
Chinese高考
A 2013 banner at Chongqing Nankai Secondary School announcing it as an examination venue for the 2013 National Higher Education Entrance Examination
Parents and teachers outside Beijing Bayi Middle School during the 2016 National College Entrance Examination

The exams last about nine hours over a period of two or three days, depending on the province. The Standard Chinese language and mathematics are included in all tests. Candidates can choose one of the subjects in English, French, Japanese, Russian, German and Spanish as a foreign language test (although the six languages were identified as college entrance examination subjects in 1983, the vast majority of candidates regard "foreign language" as "English", and English is the choice of the most candidates). In addition, students must choose between two concentrations in most regions, either the social-science-oriented area (文科倾向) or the natural-science-oriented area (理科倾向). Students who choose social sciences receive further testing in history, political science, and geography (文科综合), while those who choose natural sciences are tested in physics, chemistry, and biology (理科综合).

In 2006, a record high of 9.5 million people applied for tertiary education entry in China. Of these, 8.8 million (93%) took the national entrance exam and 27,600 (0.28%) were exempted (保送) due to exceptional or special talent. Everyone else (700,000 students) took other standardized entrance exams, such as those designed for adult education students. In 2018, it was reported that 9.75 million people applied for tertiary education entry.

The overall mark received by the student is generally a weighted sum of their subject marks. The maximum possible mark varies widely from year to year and also varies from province to province.

Generally, the modern College Entrance Examination takes place from 7 to 8 June every year, though in some provinces it can last for an extra day.[1]

Affected by 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic in mainland China, NCEE in 2020 has been postponed for one month until 7 to 8 July, while the time of the examination in Hubei province and Beijing is yet to be determined.[2]

History
A banner on the HUST campus in Wuhan congratulates top exam score achievers from the university-affiliated high school

The National College Entrance Examination was created in 1952.

The unified national tertiary entrance examination in 1952 marked the start of reform of National Matriculation Tests Policies (NMTP) in the newly established PRC. With the implementation of the first Five Year Plan in 1953, the NMTP was further enhanced. After repeated discussions and experiments, the NMTP was eventually set as a fundamental policy system in 1959. From 1958, the tertiary entrance examination system was affected by the Great Leap Forward Movement. Soon, unified recruitment was replaced by separate recruitment by individual or allied tertiary education institutions. Meanwhile, political censorship on candidate students was enhanced. Since 1962, criticism of the NMTP system had become even harsher, because it hurt benefits of the working class. On July 1966, the NMTP was officially canceled and substituted by a new admission policy of recommending workers, farmers and soldiers to college.[3] During the next ten years, the Down to the Countryside Movement, initiated by Mao Zedong, forced both senior and junior secondary school graduates, the so-called "intellectual youths", to go to the country and work as farmers in the villages. Against the backdrop of world revolution, millions of such young people, joined the ranks of farmers, working and living alongside them. However, they were soon disillusioned by the reality of hard conditions in the countryside.

In the early 1970s, Mao Zedong realized that internal political struggle had taken too big a toll on him as well as the nation and decided to resume the operation of universities. However, the students were selected based on political and family backgrounds rather than academic achievements. This practice continued until the death of Mao in September 1976. In late 1977, Deng Xiaoping, then under Hua Guofeng, the heir apparent of Mao, officially resumed the traditional examination based on academics, the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, which has continued to the present day.

The first such examination after the Cultural Revolution took place in late 1977 and was a history-making event. There was no limit on the age or official educational background of examinees. Consequently, most of the hopefuls who had accumulated during the ten years of the Cultural Revolution and many others who simply wanted to try their luck emerged from society for the examination. The youngest were in their early teens and the oldest were in their late thirties. The questions in the examinations were designed by the individual provinces. The total number of candidate students for the national college entrance exam in 1977 was as many as 5.7 million. Although the Ministry of Education eventually expanded enrollment, adding 63,000 more to the admission quota, the admission ratio of 4.8% was the lowest in the history of the PRC, with only 272,971 students being admitted.[4]

Starting from 1978, the examination was uniformly designed by the Ministry of Education and all the students across the country took exactly the same examination.

However, reforms on the content and form of the exam have never stopped, among which the permission for individual provinces to customize their own exams has been the most salient. The Ministry of Education allowed the College Enrollment Office of Shanghai to employ an independent exam in 1985, which was the beginning of provincial proposition. In the same year, Guangdong was also permitted to adopt independent proposition. Starting from 2003, Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang were allowed to adopt independent propositions. Till now, there have been 16 provinces and municipalities adopting customized exams.

Although today's admission rate is much higher than in 1977, 1978 and before the 1990s, it is still fairly low compared to the availability of higher education in the Western world. Consequently, the examination is highly competitive, and the prospective examinees and their parents experience enormous pressure. For the majority, it is a watershed that divides two dramatically different lives.

In 1970, less than 1% of Chinese people had attended higher education; however, university admissions places are less than 1/1000 of the whole population of China. In the 1970s, 70% of students who were recommended to go to university had political backgrounds reflecting the political nature of university selection at the time. At the same time, the undergraduate course system narrowed down the time from 4 years to 3 years. According to incomplete statistics, from 1966 to 1977, institutions of higher learning recruited 940,000 people who belonged to the worker-peasant-soldier group.

For most provinces, the National Higher Education Entrance Examination is held once a year (in recent years some of the provinces in China hold examinations twice a year and the extra one is called the Spring Entrance Examination). The previous schedule (before 2003) of the National Higher Education Entrance Examination was in July every year. It now takes place in June every year. Partial Provincial administrative units determine the schedule of the exams on the 7th and 8 June.

2017 Gaokao

9.40 million students attended Gaokao in 2017, 7 million of whom were admitted by colleges and/or universities.[5] The percentage of first-class admission (Yi Ben, deemed as good universities in China) varied from 9.48% to 30.5%,[6] with the lowest admission rates in Henan province and Shanxi province, at less than 10%.

The changes of the exam scope in 2017 (in most areas of China, where the students use the Nationwide Exam Papers in Gaokao)

Chinese

All the exam contents are set into compulsory examination scope.

Mathematics

Elective Course 4-1 (Selection of Geometric Proof) is removed from the elective examination scope.

Foreign Language

No changes.

Physics

Elective Course 3-5 is changed from the elective examination scope into the compulsory examination scope.

Chemistry

Elective Course 2 (Chemistry and Technology) is removed from the elective examination scope.

Biology

Topic 3 (Tissue Culture Technology of Plants) is removed from the elective examination scope of Elective Course 1 (Biotechnology Practice).

Politics

No changes.

History

Elective Course 2 (Democratic Thought and Practice in Modern Society) is removed from the elective examination scope.

Geography

Elective Course 5 (Natural Disasters and Prevention) is removed from the elective examination scope.

2018 Gaokao

9.75 million students attended Gaokao on June 7 and 8.[5] A citizen from Zhihu reported that Guangdong Donghua School had leaked some questions a day before Gaokao. The article was subsequently deleted by Zhihu.[7]

Acceptance rate for each year[8]
Annual acceptance rate
YearNumber of students taking the examPlanned accepted studentsAcceptance rate
19775,700,000270,0004.74%
19786,100,000402,0006.59%
19794,680,000280,0005.98%
19803,330,000280,0008.41%
19812,590,000280,00010.81%
19821,870,000320,00017.11%
19831,670,000390,00023.35%
19841,640,000480,00029.27%
19851,760,000620,00035.23%
19861,910,000570,00029.84%
19872,280,000620,00027.19%
19882,720,000670,00024.63%
19892,660,000600,00022.56%
19902,830,000610,00021.55%
19912,960,000620,00020.95%
19923,030,000750,00024.75%
19932,860,000980,00034.27%
19942,510,000900,00035.86%
19952,530,000930,00036.76%
19962,410,000970,00040.25%
19972,780,0001,000,00035.97%
19983,200,0001,083,60033.86%
19992,880,0001,596,80055.44%
20003,750,0002,206,10058.83%
20014,540,0002,682,80059.09%
20025,100,0003,205,00062.84%
20036,130,0003,821,70062.34%
20047,290,0004,473,40061.36%
20058,770,0005,044,60057.52%
20069,500,0005,460,50057.48%
200710,100,0005,659,20056.03%
200810,500,0006,076,60057.87%
200910,200,0006,394,90062.70%
20109,460,0006,617,60069.95%
20119,330,0006,815,00073.04%
20129,150,0006,888,30075.28%
20139,120,0006,998,30076.74%
20149,390,0007,214,00076.83%
20159,420,0007,378,50078.33%
20169,400,0007,486,10079.64%
20179,400,0007,614,90081.01%
20189,750,0007,909,90081.13%
201910,310,000--
Annual number of students taking the exam by province
ProvinceChinese2019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004
Beijing北京59,20963,07360,60061,20068,00070,50072,73673,00076,00081,000101,000103,700----
Tianjin天津56,00055,07457,00060,00062,00060,00063,00064,00064,60071,00076,50088,500----
Hebei河北559,600486,400436,200423,100404,800418,200449,800459,300485,000503,000559,000574,800----
Shanxi山西314,000305,071317,000339,100342,278341,600358,000361,000339,000362,000360,000370,000----
Inner Mongolia内蒙199,000195,000198,600201,100189,500188,000193,267189,500205,600219,000246,000270,000----
Liaoning辽宁244,000185,000208,500218,200225,191239,000254,000256,000245,000243,500280,000300,000----
Jilin吉林162,700150,239142,900148,000137,681160,200159,000162,000165,000169,000197,000208,000----
Heilongjiang黑龙江204,000190,424188,000197,000198,000204,000208,000210,000208,000195,000230,000228,000----
Shanghai上海50,00050,00051,00051,00051,00052,00053,00055,00061,00067,00083,000108,000----
Jiangsu江苏339,000331,500330,100360,400392,900425,700451,000475,000500,000527,000546,000508,000----
Zhejiang浙江325,100306,000291,300307,400280,000308,600313,000315,800299,000300,800348,500364,400358,800352,000313,000250,000
Anhui安徽513,000499,000498,600509,900546,000527,000511,000506,000540,000562,000572,000610,000----
Fujian福建207,800200,900188,200175,000189,300255,000255,000250,000267,000292,000305,000312,000----
Jiangxi江西421,000380,000364,900360,600354,600325,000274,300269,000288,600312,000350,000384,400----
Shandong山东559,900592,000683,200710,000696,000558,000500,000550,000587,000660,000700,000800,000----
Henan河南1,080,000983,800865,800820,000772,000724,000716,300805,000855,000952,400959,000905,000----
Hubei湖北384,000374,302362,000361,400368,400402,700438,000457,000484,700490,000519,500525,000----
Hunan湖南499,000451,800410,800401,600390,000378,000373,000352,000372,000413,000507,000540,000----
Guangdong广东768,000758,000730,000733,000754,000756,000727,000692,000655,000615,000644,000614,000----
Guangxi广西460,000400,000365,000330,000310,000315,000298,000285,000292,000299,000302,000304,000----
Hainan海南60,00058,77557,00060,40062,00061,00056,66255,00054,00054,70057,80049,800----
Chongqing重庆264,000250,473247,500248,900255,500250,600235,000230,000216,400196,700196,000186,000----
Sichuan四川654,200620,000582,800571,400575,700571,700540,000538,000514,000511,500500,000517,600----
Guizhou贵州458,700441,731411,900373,800330,500292,700247,800248,000243,100234,000240,000240,000----
Yunnan云南326,100300,296293,500281,100272,100255,900236,000210,000230,000220,000220,000260,000----
Tibet西藏27,50025,34328,50024,00022,59019,62518,94919,00018,00018,00013,60015,000----
Shaanxi陕西325,900319,000319,000328,000344,000353,000366,498375,300383,900378,500405,000414,000----
Gansu甘肃266,800273,000284,800296,000303,800297,000283,000296,000297,000291,000286,000290,000----
Qinghai青海55,00042,00046,30044,60042,68239,70040,60038,00040,60038,00039,00041,000----
Ningxia宁夏71,70069,47569,20069,10067,70064,00058,70060,20060,10057,00058,00058,000----
Xinjiang新疆220,900207,400183,700166,100160,500162,600158,700154,700147,700164,200164,500170,000----

Procedure

The National Higher Education Entrance Examination is not uniform across the country, but administered uniformly within each province of China or each direct-controlled municipality. The National Higher Education Entrance Examination is graded variously across the country. It is arranged at the end of the spring semester and secondary school graduates across the country take the examination simultaneously over a three-day period. Prior to 2003, the examination was held in July, but has since been moved to the month of June. This move was made in consideration of the adverse effects of hot weather on students living in southern China and possible flooding during the rainy season in July.

In different places and across different time in history, students were required to apply for their intended university or college prior to the exam, after the exam, or more recently, after they learned of their scores, by filling a list of ordered preferences. The application list is classified into several tiers (including at least early admissions, key universities, regular universities, vocational colleges), each of which can contain around 4-6 intended choices in institution and program, though typically an institution or program would only admit students who apply to it as their first choice in each tier. In some places, students are allowed to apply for different tiers at different times. For example, in Shanghai, students apply for early admission, key universities and regular universities prior to the exam, but can apply for other colleges after they learned of their scores.

The exam is administered for two or three days. Three subjects are mandatory everywhere: Chinese, Mathematics, and a foreign language—usually English, but this may also be substituted by Russian, Japanese, German, French or Spanish. The other six standard subjects are three sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and three humanities: History, Geography, and Political Science.[9] Applicants to science/engineering or art/humanities programs typically take one to three from the respective category. Since the 2000s, an integrated test, science integrated test, humanities integrated test or wider integrated test has been introduced in some places. This integrated test may or may not be considered during admission. In addition, some special regional subjects are required or optional in some places. Currently, the actual requirement varies from province to province.

However, the general requirements are as follows:

  1. Abide by the Constitution and laws of the People's Republic of China.
  2. Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
  3. Be in good health.
  4. Have read carefully and are willing to abide by the rules of the Register and other regulations and policies of the Institutions of Higher Learning and the Office of Admissions Committee about the enrollment management.
  5. If foreign immigrants who settle down in China conform to the enlists condition of the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, they can then apply for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination with the foreign immigrants’ resident certificate, which are sent by the Provincial Public Security Department at the location that is assigned.
  6. If willing to apply for the Military Academy: students who are going to graduate this year and have studied in high school for the first time can not be older than 20 years of age and unmarried; willing to apply for the Police Academy, and students who are going to graduate this year and have studied in high school for the first time can not be older than 22 years of age and unmarried; willing to apply for the foreign language major in Police Academy, and students who are going to graduate this year and have studied in high school for the first time can not be older than 20 years of age and unmarried.
  7. If students from Juvenile Classes want to take the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, their schools need to pre-select, send certification of approval, inform the exact required courses, and clarify the offices of Admissions Committee where they will take the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. After doing so, the students can then give the application. After the Office of Admissions Committee reviews and approves, the students can apply for and attend the National Higher Education Entrance Examination at the right location. Students who apply for Shao Nian Ban must be part of the small percentage of the population. They must have very high IQ, their grades must be excellent, and they must study at a secondary or high school under the age of 15 (not including those who are going to graduate this year and has studied in high school for the first time).

The following groups are prohibited from taking the exam:

  1. Students who are currently studying higher education.
  2. Students whose files are incomplete, such as no school status.
  3. One who is serving a prison sentence or is being prosecuted for violating Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China.

Applicants to some specialist programs are also screened by additional criteria: some art departments (e.g. audition), military and police schools (political screening and physical exam), and some sports programs (tryout).

Scores obtained in the examinations can be used in applying universities outside mainland China. Among all the places, the counterpart Hong Kong is on their top list. In 2007, 7 students with overall highest score in their provinces entered Hong Kong's universities rather than the two major universities in mainland China. In 2010, over 1,200 students entered the 12 local institutions which provide tertiary education courses through this examination. In addition, City University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong directly participate in the application procedure like other mainland universities.

The examination is essentially the only criterion for tertiary education admissions. A poor performance on the test almost always means giving up on that goal. Students hoping to attend university will spend most of their waking moments studying prior to the exam. If they fail in their first attempt, some of them repeat the last year of high school life and make another attempt the following year.

Subjects

The subjects tested in the National Higher Education Entrance Examination have changed over time. Traditionally, students would undertake either a set of "arts" subjects or a set of "science" subjects, with some shared compulsory subjects. The subjects taken in the Examination affected the degree Examination, or implemented flexible systems for selecting the subjects to be tested, resulting in a number of different systems.

"3+X" system (Being phased out)

As a pilot examination system used in order to promote education system reform, this examination system has been implemented in most parts of the country, including Beijing City, Tianjin City, Hebei Province, Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province, Anhui Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Jiangxi Province, Henan Province, Shandong Province, Hubei Province, Shaanxi Province, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, Shanxi Province, Chongqing City, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Ningxia, Xinjiang and Tibet. In the context of the reform of the National College Entrance Examination, this program will be suspended in Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Hainan provinces from 2020, and will be suspended in most provinces and cities in China from 2021. It will cease across Mainland China by 2022.

  • "3" refers to compulsory subjects, including "Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language ", each of which accounts for 150/750 in total score.
  • "X" means that students can choose, according to their own capability, one subject from either Social Sciences (including Political Sciences, History and Geography), or Natural Sciences (including Physics, Chemistry and Biology), which accounts for 300/750 in total score.
  • If a student chooses Natural Sciences, then he or she will take a relatively harder mathematics test as well, including Curves and Equations, Space Vector and Solid Geometry, The Concept of Definite Integral, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Simple Application of Definite Integral, Mathematical Induction, Counting Principle, Random Variable and Its Distribution.
  • For candidates of minor ethnic groups in Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Jilin, their Literature score consists of an easier Chinese Literature test and an optional subject on Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur and Korean Literature, each counting for 75 points.
Compulsory Subjects Score Time Elective Subjects Score Time
Social Sciences Chinese, Mathematics (for arts students) and a foreign language 450/750, 150 each 150 minutes for Chinese (9:00 to 11:30 on June 7), 120 minutes for Mathematics (15:00 to 17:00 on June 7) and the foreign language (15:00 to 17:00 on June 8) Political Sciences, History and Geography 300/750, 100+100+100 150 minutes (9:00 to 11:30 on June 8)
Natural Sciences Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language 450/750, 150 each 150 minutes for Chinese (9:00 to 11:30 on June 7), 120 minutes for Mathematics (15:00 to 17:00 on June 7) and the foreign language (15:00 to 17:00 on June 8) Physics, Chemistry and Biology 300/750, 110+100+90 150 minutes (9:00 to 11:30 on June 8)

"3+2" system
  • "3" refers to three compulsory subjects, including "Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language". "2" refers to selecting two subjects either from Politics, History or Geography for arts students, or from Biology, Chemistry or Physics for science students.
  • This system used to be employed in Jiangsu Province, but is being replaced by another system in 2020.

"4+X" system

This system was used after the New Curriculum Reform being employed in Guangdong province, and now it has been abandoned.

  • "X" means that according to their own interests, candidates can choose one or two subjects either from arts subjects, including Politics, History and Geography (Politics and Geography cannot be chosen simultaneously), or from science subjects, including Biology, Physics and Chemistry (Physics and Biology cannot be chosen simultaneously).
  • Chinese and a foreign language are compulsory. Two separate Mathematics tests are designed respectively for arts students and science students.
  • In addition to three compulsory subjects and X subject, arts students have to take comprehensive tests of arts, and science students have to take comprehensive tests of science.

"3+1+X" system

This system has been implemented in Shanghai since the employment of comprehensive courses, now abandoned.

  • "3" refers to three compulsory subjects "Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language", with 150 scores for each subject.
  • "1" refers to one subject that candidates choose according to their own interests and specialty from "Politics, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry and Biology". This subject accounts 150 scores when admitted by universities and colleges at undergraduate level. The score is not included in the total score when admitted by vocational and technical colleges. Therefore, candidates can give up this subject when applying for colleges at vocational and technical level.
  • "X" refers to comprehensive ability test, which is categorized into arts tests and science tests. Arts students can either choose one subject from Politics, History and Geography, or take an arts comprehensive test when giving up "1' subject. Science students can either choose one subject from Physics, Chemistry and Biology, or take a science comprehensive test when giving up "1" subject. Regardless of arts and science categories, all the comprehensive ability tests cover knowledge of six subjects,including Politics, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. In the first volume of the arts test, number of questions related to arts subjects exceeds science questions, and vice versa; the second volume of the two tests are the same.

"3+2+X" system (Ready to disable)

This is a pilot college entrance examination system implemented by the Jiangsu Province in 2003 after examining other testing systems, but it was replaced by "3+2" system in 2008. Subject tests will take turns into the embrace of National Standard. A new policy is expected to substitute the old one in 2021.

  • "3" refers to three compulsory subjects "Chinese, mathematics and a foreign language", which are recorded in the total score.
  • "2" refers to choosing two subjects from the following six areas "politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology", which are not recorded in total score but a class like A+, A, etc. will be recorded.
  • "X" refers to a comprehensive science or liberal arts exam, which is not recorded in the total score, only for university admission reference.

"3+X+1" system

This is part of the curriculum reform in China.

  • "3" refers to Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language, which are compulsory testing subjects for each candidate.
  • "X" means choosing one of the two comprehensive tests in either sciences or liberal arts, according to the student's interest.
  • "1" refers to a basic proficiency test on skills that high school graduates needs and should have in order to adapt to social life. This college entrance examination system was implemented for the first time in Shandong in 2007.
  • The examination system in Shandong Province reverted to the "3+X" system as of the most recent testing in June 2014.

Reform of the National College Entrance Examination

"3+3" system

Summary of information about this program, see the Education of Sina. [10]

  • This system has been implemented in Shanghai and Zhejiang since the employment of comprehensive courses since September 2014.
  • All students participating in the National College Entrance Examination must take Chinese, mathematics, and a foreign language (a choice of one from English, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Spanish). They also take three subjects of their choice from physics, chemistry, biology, technology (Zhejiang only), geography, politics and history.
  • Since 2017, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Hainan have begun to use this program. Since 2018, about 7 Chinese provinces and Chongqing City have started to use this program. This system will apply for the rest of the country starting from 2020.
    • Provinces and cities that were originally scheduled to start The Reform of the National College Entrance Examination in 2018: Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, Hebei, Henan, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Guizhou, Anhui, Tibet.
    • Henan, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Jilin, Guizhou, Anhui, Tibet were evaluated by the Ministry of Education of PRC, and their conditions did not meet the start-up requirements and were required to be postponed. Among them, it will apply in Anhui since 2019. Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Hubei, Chongqing, Hunan, Hebei, Liaoning reached the start condition and were approved to start in 2018.
  • Originally, the original intention of the reform was to let the students develop their strengths and avoid weaknesses, but the students were rushing to the high-scoring subjects. This has resulted in very few people in certain subjects, such as physics.
  • In the calculation of the scores of the other, 70 points (in Shanghai) or 100 points (in Zhejiang) for each of the subjects, according to the levels like A+, A, B+, ..., D, E, etc (Divided into 21 grades in Zhejiang, 11 in Shanghai; 3 points between every two grades). According to the published news, Beijing and Tianjin indicated that their plan is similar to the Zhejiang plan, and Anhui's request for comment is similar to Zhejiang, too;[11] Shandong is divided into eight grades of A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, and E. According to the original scores and equal conversion rules of the candidates, they are converted to 91-100, 81-90, 71-80, 61-70, 51-60, 41-50, 31-40, 21-30 eight score intervals, get the grades of candidates.[12][13]'
  • Another point to be concerned is that candidates who want to take the college entrance examination must first take the Qualifying Exam of the Academic Proficiency Examination for Senior High School Students(普通高中学业水平考试). The results are credited as "qualified" and "failed".

Criticisms

Academic segregation

Chinese students are required to choose either Social Sciences (political science, geography, and history) or Natural Sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology). This happens particularly at the end of the first or second year of high school, when students are mostly 15–17 years old. Once they make their decisions, they start preparing for the subject tests, and no longer take classes for the other three subjects. This decision will determine which college entrance test they will take at the age of 18, as well as influence their college majors and future career path.

Regional discrimination

A university usually sets a fixed admission quota for each province, with a higher number of students coming from its home province. As the advanced educational resources (number and quality of universities) are distributed unevenly across China, it is argued that people are being discriminated against during the admission process based on their geographic region. For example, compared to Beijing, Jiangxi province has fewer universities per capita. Therefore, Jiangxi usually receives fewer admission quotas compared with Beijing, which makes a significantly higher position among applicants necessary for a Jiangxi candidate to be admitted by the same university than his Beijing counterpart. The unequal admission schemes for different provinces and regions might intensify competition among examinees from provinces with fewer advanced education resources. For example, Beijing University planned to admit 1800 science students from Beijing (with 80,000 candidates in total), but only 38 from Shandong (with 660,000 candidates in total). This is not similar to the practice of regional universities in other countries which receive subsidies from regional governments in addition to or in place of those received from central governments, as universities in China largely depend on state budget rather than local budget. However, this regionally preferential policy does provide subsidies to minority students from under-developed regions that enjoy limited educational resources, such as Tibet and Xinjiang.

The regional discrimination can be proved by the disparities between ratios of a province's enrollment of students to the total number of candidate students of the province. In 2010, the acceptance rates for students from Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong and Henan who applied for universities of the first-ranking category were 20.1%, 18%, 7.1% and 3.5% respectively. High acceptance rates are likely to appear in the most and least developed cities and provinces, such as Beijing, Shanghai or Qinghai. In contrast, acceptance rates remain relatively equal among provinces of the average developmental level.

In recent years, varied admission standards have led some families to relocate for the sole purpose of advancing their children's chances of entering university.[14]

In addition, regional discrimination is not only restricted to the ratio for admission. This is best illustrated with an example of the Hubei Province, where students' exam scores have been higher than other provinces for a long time. A score for a Hubei student to just reach the admission cut-off line for a key university may be enough for a student from another province to be admitted by a much better university, and even enough for a Beijing student to be admitted by top universities like Tsinghua University and Peking University.

Some local students in Hong Kong complained that it was unfair that the increasing intake of Mainland students who have performed at a high level in this examination increases the admission grades of universities, making it harder for local students to get admission. In 2010, more than 5,000 out of the 17,000 students who achieved the minimum university entry requirement were not offered places in any degree courses in the UGC-funded universities.

Migrant children

As a student is required to take exam in the region where his or her household registration (Hukou) locates, the qualification of migrant children become controversial.[15] Since 2012, some regions began to relax the requirements and allow some children of migrants to take College Entrance Exam in the regions. By 2016 Guangdong's policies are the most relaxed. A child of migrants can take Entrance Exam in Guangdong if he or she has attended 3 years of highschool in the province, and if the parent(s) have legal jobs and have paid for 3 years of social insurance in the province.[16]

Special concessions

There are special concessions for members of ethnic minorities, foreign nationals, persons with family origin in Taiwan, and children of military casualties. Students can also receive bonus marks by achieving high results in academic Olympiads, other science and technology competitions, sporting competitions, as well as "political or moral" distinction. In 2018 NPC, the government admitted to cancel all bonus scores from competitions.

Psychological pressure
See also: Mental health in China

Because Gaokao is one of the most influential examinations in China and the fact that students can only take the test once a year, both teachers and students undergo tremendous pressure in preparing for and taking the exam. For teachers, because the society focuses on the rate of admission into universities, teachers have to pay more attention to each student's ability to take the exam. Because of this, teachers would like to give students more and more practice for exams. This teaching methodology, colloquially referred to as "cramming", involves students memorizing large volumes of information fed to them by teachers and undertaking many practice exercises in order to optimize exam writing ability. One of the disadvantages of this method is the lack of focus on teaching critical thinking and ignoring students' emotions, values and personalities. Many examinees suffer from severe nervousness during the test. In some cases, examinees may faint in the examination room.[17]

Further and deeper stemming criticisms have been leveled that the testing system is the "most pressure packed examination in the world."[18] Behaviors surrounding the testing period have been extreme under some reports, with doctors in Tianjin purportedly prescribing birth control pills to female students whose parents wanted to ensure the girls were not menstruating at the time of examination.[18] Testing pressure, for some critics, has been linked to faintings, increased drop out rates, and even increasing rates of teenage clinical depression and suicide in China.

Impact

Gaokao tends to rule the lives of most Chinese teenagers and their parents. In Zhengzhou (Henan), the local bus company parked a 985 number bus outside a Gaokao center for parents to wait in, the number reflecting a popular enrollment program number for university entrances.[1]

Examination scope [19]

The following are the exam scope for Gaokao in 2019 in most areas of China, where the students use the Nationwide Exam Papers in Gaokao, not including some areas that have their own exam scope. The contents refer to the textbooks from People's Education Press.

Chinese[20]
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Unit 1 Modern Poetry
    • Unit 2 Ancient Narrative Prose
    • Unit 3 Narrative Prose
    • Unit 4 News and Reportage
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Unit 1 Modern Scenery Lyric Prose
    • Unit 2 Book of Songs, Chu Ci, Poetry of Han Wei and Six Dynasties
    • Unit 3 Ancient Lyric Prose
    • Unit 4 Speech
  • Compulsory Course 3
    • Unit 1 Novel One
    • Unit 2 Tang Poetry
    • Unit 3 Ancient Prose
    • Unit 4 Works of Popular Science
  • Compulsory Course 4
    • Unit 1 Chinese and Foreign Drama
    • Unit 2 Song Yuan Song
    • Unit 3 Papers and Essays in Social Sciences
    • Unit 4 Biography of Ancient People
  • Compulsory Course 5
    • Unit 1 Novel Two
    • Unit 2 Ancient Lyric Prose
    • Unit 3 Literature and Art Thesis
    • Unit 4 Natural Science Paper
  • Elective Course (Appreciation of Ancient Chinese Poetry and Prose)
    • Unit 1, 2, 3 Poetry
    • Unit 4, 5, 6 Prose
  • 50 ancient poems and articles in junior high school

Students in some schools also take other Elective Courses (such as Study of Chinese Cultural Classics, Appreciation of Chinese Novels) because Chinese does not have an exact exam scope.

Mathematics
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Chapter 1 Concept of Set and Function
    • Chapter 2 Basic Elementary Function (I)
    • Chapter 3 Application of Function
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Chapter 1 Space Geometry
    • Chapter 2 Positional Relations Between Points, Lines and Planes
    • Chapter 3 Straight Line and Equation
    • Chapter 4 Circle and Equation
  • Compulsory Course 3
    • Chapter 1 Algorithm Preliminary
    • Chapter 2 Statistics
    • Chapter 3 Probability
  • Compulsory Course 4
    • Chapter 1 Trigonometric Function
    • Chapter 2 Plane Vector
    • Chapter 3 Trigonometric Identity Transformation
  • Compulsory Course 5
    • Chapter 1 Solving Triangles
    • Chapter 2 Sequence of Number
    • Chapter 3 Inequality

Mathematics for Social Sciences

Besides Compulsory Courses, the compulsory exam scope for Social Sciences contains the two Elective Courses of series 1. Most contents in Elective Courses of series 1 are also contained in Elective Courses of series 2, but some contents in Elective Courses of series 2 is not contained in Elective Courses of series 1.[21] This makes Mathematics exam easier for Social Sciences than for Natural Sciences.

  • Elective Course 1-1
    • Chapter 1 Common Logic Terms
    • Chapter 2 Conic Sections and Equations (not including Curves and Equations *)
    • Chapter 3 Derivative and Its Application (not including The Concept of Definite Integral *, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus *, Simple Application of Definite Integral *)
  • Elective Course 1-2
    • Chapter 1 Statistical Case
    • Chapter 2 Reasoning and Proof (not including Mathematical Induction *)
    • Chapter 3 Extension of Number System and Introduction of Complex Number
    • Chapter 4 Block Diagram

The contents with * are not for Social Sciences.

Mathematics for Natural Sciences

Besides Compulsory Courses, the compulsory exam scope for Natural Sciences also contains the three Elective Courses of series 2, so the Elective Courses of series 2 are regarded as compulsory courses for Natural Sciences. Most contents in Elective Courses of series 1 are also contained in Elective Courses of series 2, but some contents in Elective Courses of series 2 is not contained in Elective Courses of series 1.[22]

  • Elective Course 2-1
    • Chapter 1 Common Logic Terms
    • Chapter 2 Conic Sections and Equations (including 2.1 Curves and Equations *)
    • Chapter 3 Space Vector and Solid Geometry *
  • Elective Course 2-2
    • Chapter 1 Derivative and Its Application (including 1.5 The Concept of Definite Integral *, 1.6 Fundamental Theorem of Calculus *, 1.7 Simple Application of Definite Integral *)
    • Chapter 2 Reasoning and Proof (including 2.3 Mathematical Induction *)
    • Chapter 3 Extension of Number System and Introduction of Complex Number
  • Elective Course 2-3
    • Chapter 1 Counting Principle *
    • Chapter 2 Random Variable and Its Distribution *
    • Chapter 3 Statistical Case

The contents with * are not for Social Sciences.

Elective

At least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 4-4 (Coordinate System and Parameter Equation)
    • Chapter 1 Coordinate System
    • Chapter 2 Parametric Equation
  • Elective Course 4-5 (Selection of Inequalities)
    • Chapter 1 Inequalities and Absolute Value Inequalities
    • Chapter 2 The Basic Method of Proving Inequality
    • Chapter 3 Cauchy Inequality and Sequence Inequality
    • Chapter 4 Proving Inequality by Mathematical Induction

Foreign language

English[23]
  • Compulsory Course 1 (Book 1)
    • Unit 1 Friendship
    • Unit 2 English around the world
    • Unit 3 Travel journal
    • Unit 4 Earthquakes
    • Unit 5 Nelson Mandela – a modern hero
  • Compulsory Course 2 (Book 2)
    • Unit 1 Cultural relics
    • Unit 2 The Olympic Games
    • Unit 3 Computers
    • Unit 4 Wildlife protection
    • Unit 5 Music
  • Compulsory Course 3 (Book 3)
    • Unit 1 Festivals around the world
    • Unit 2 Healthy eating
    • Unit 3 The Million Pound Bank Note
    • Unit 4 Astronomy: the science of the stars
    • Unit 5 Canada – "The True North"
  • Compulsory Course 4 (Book 4)
    • Unit 1 Women of achievement
    • Unit 2 Working the land
    • Unit 3 A taste of English humour
    • Unit 4 Body language
    • Unit 5 Theme parks
  • Compulsory Course 5 (Book 5)
    • Unit 1 Great scientists
    • Unit 2 The United Kingdom
    • Unit 3 Life in the future
    • Unit 4 Making the news
    • Unit 5 First aid
  • Elective Course 6 (Book 6)
    • Unit 1 Art
    • Unit 2 Poems
    • Unit 3 A healthy life
    • Unit 4 Global warming
    • Unit 5 The power of nature
  • Elective Course 7 (Book 7)
    • Unit 1 Living well
    • Unit 2 Robots
    • Unit 3 Under the sea
    • Unit 4 Sharing
    • Unit 5 Travelling abroad
  • Elective Course 8 (Book 8)
    • Unit 1 A land of diversity
    • Unit 2 Cloning
    • Unit 3 Inventors and inventions
    • Unit 4 Pygmalion
    • Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors

Students in some schools also take Elective Course 9, 10 and 11 because English does not have an exact exam scope.

  • Elective Course 9 (Book 9)
    • Unit 1 Breaking records
    • Unit 2 Sailing the oceans
    • Unit 3 Australia
    • Unit 4 Exploring plants
    • Unit 5 Inside advertising
  • Elective Course 10 (Book 10)
    • Unit 1 Nothing ventured, nothing gained
    • Unit 2 King Lear
    • Unit 3 Fairness for all
    • Unit 4 Learning efficiently
    • Unit 5 Enjoying novels
  • Elective Course 11 (Book 11)
    • Unit 1 New Zealand
    • Unit 2 Detective stories
    • Unit 3 Finding the correct perspective
    • Unit 4 Legends of ancient Greece
    • Unit 5 Launching your career.

Japanese

Temporarily unknown.

German

Temporarily unknown.

French

Temporarily unknown.

Russian

Temporarily unknown.

Spanish

Temporarily unknown.

Comprehensive Natural Sciences

Physics[24]
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Chapter 1 Description of Motion
    • Chapter 2 Research on Uniform Variable Rectilinear Motion
    • Chapter 3 Interaction
    • Chapter 4 Newton Laws of Motion
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Chapter 5 Curvilinear Motion
    • Chapter 6 Gravitation and Spaceflight
    • Chapter 7 Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Besides Compulsory Courses, the compulsory exam scope also contains Elective Course 3-1, Elective Course 3-2 and Elective Course 3-5, so Elective Course 3-1, Elective Course 3-2 and Elective Course 3-5 are regarded as compulsory courses for Natural Sciences.

  • Elective Course 3-1
    • Chapter 1 Electrostatic Field
    • Chapter 2 Steady Current
    • Chapter 3 Magnetic Field
  • Elective Course 3-2
    • Chapter 4 Electromagnetic Induction
    • Chapter 5 Alternating Current
    • Chapter 6 Sensor
  • Elective Course 3-5
    • Chapter 16 Law of Conservation of Momentum
    • Chapter 17 Wave-particle Dualism
    • Chapter 18 Atomic Structure
    • Chapter 19 Nucleus
Elective

For Natural Sciences, at least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 3-3
    • Chapter 7 Molecular Kinetic Theory
    • Chapter 8 Gas
    • Chapter 9 Solid, Liquid and Physical State Changes
    • Chapter 10 Law of Thermodynamics
  • Elective Course 3-4
    • Chapter 11 Mechanical Vibration
    • Chapter 12 Mechanical Wave
    • Chapter 13 Light
    • Chapter 14 Electromagnetic Wave
    • Chapter 15 Introduction to Relativity

Chemistry[25]
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Chapter 1 From Experimental Chemistry
    • Chapter 2 Chemical Substances and Their Changes
    • Chapter 3 Metals and Their Compounds
    • Chapter 4 Nonmetals and Their Compounds
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Chapter 1 Material Structure Periodic Law of Elements
    • Chapter 2 Chemical Reaction and Energy
    • Chapter 3 Organic Compound
    • Chapter 4 Chemistry and Exploitation and Utilization of Natural Resources

Besides Compulsory Courses, the compulsory exam scope also contains Elective Course 4 (Chemical Reaction Principle), so Elective Course 4 (Chemical Reaction Principle) is regarded as a compulsory course for Natural Sciences.

  • Elective Course 4 (Chemical Reaction Principle)
    • Chapter 1 Chemical Reaction and Energy (contains Section 1 Chemical Reaction and Energy Change, Section 2 Heat of Combustion Energy, Section 3 Calculation of Chemical Heat of Reaction, which are not in Chapter 2 of Compulsory Course 2)
    • Chapter 2 Chemical Reaction Rate and Chemical Equilibrium
    • Chapter 3 Ion Balance in Aqueous Solution
    • Chapter 4 Electrochemical Basis
Elective

For Natural Sciences, at least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 3 (Material Structure and Properties)
    • Chapter 1 Atomic Structure and Properties
    • Chapter 2 Molecular Structure and Properties
    • Chapter 3 Crystal Structure and Properties
  • Elective Course 5 (Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry)
    • Chapter 1 Understanding Organic Compounds
    • Chapter 2 Hydrocarbon and Halogenated Hydrocarbon
    • Chapter 3 Oxygen Derivatives of Hydrocarbons
    • Chapter 4 Basic Organic Chemicals in Life
    • Chapter 5 Into the Era of Synthetic Organic Polymer Compounds

Biology[26]
  • Compulsory Course 1 (Molecules and Cells)
    • Chapter 1 Close to the Cell
    • Chapter 2 Molecules Forming Cells
    • Chapter 3 The Basic Structure of Cells
    • Chapter 4 Cell Material Input and Output
    • Chapter 5 Energy Supply and Utilization of Cells
    • Chapter 6 Cell Life Course
  • Compulsory Course 2 (Heredity and Evolution)
    • Chapter 1 Discovery of Hereditary Factors
    • Chapter 2 Relationship Between Genes and Chromosomes
    • Chapter 3 The Nature of Gene
    • Chapter 4 Gene Expression
    • Chapter 5 Gene Mutation and Other Variants
    • Chapter 6 From Cross Breeding to Genetic Engineering
    • Chapter 7 Modern Biological Evolution Theory
  • Compulsory Course 3 (Homeostasis and Environment)
    • Chapter 1 Internal Environment and Homeostasis of Human Body
    • Chapter 2 Regulation of Animal and Human Life Activities
    • Chapter 3 Hormonal Regulation of Plants
    • Chapter 4 Population and Community
    • Chapter 5 Ecosystem and Its Stability
    • Chapter 6 Protection of Ecological Environment
Elective

For Natural Sciences, at least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 1 (Biotechnology Practice)
    • Topic 1 Application of Traditional Fermentation Technology
    • Topic 2 Cultivation and Application of Microorganism
    • Topic 4 Research and Application of Enzymes
    • Topic 5 DNA and Protein Technology
    • Topic 6 Extraction of Effective Components From Plants
  • Elective Course 3 (Modern Biotechnology Topics)
    • Topic 1 Genetic Engineering
    • Topic 2 Cell Engineering
    • Topic 3 Embryo Engineering
    • Topic 4 Safety and Ethical Issues of Biotechnology
    • Topic 5 Ecological Engineering

Comprehensive Social Sciences

Geography[27]
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Chapter 1 Planet Earth
    • Chapter 2 The Atmosphere on the Earth
    • Chapter 3 Water on the Earth
    • Chapter 4 Shaping the Surface Form
    • Chapter 5 The Integrity and Diversity of Natural Geographical Environment
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Chapter 1 Demographic Change
    • Chapter 2 City and Urbanization
    • Chapter 3 The Formation and Development of Agricultural Regions
    • Chapter 4 The Formation and Development of Industrial Regions
    • Chapter 5 Transportation Layout and Its Influence
    • Chapter 6 Coordinated Development of Human and Geographical Environment
  • Compulsory Course 3
    • Chapter 1 Geographical Environment and Regional Development
    • Chapter 2 Regional Ecological Environment Construction
    • Chapter 3 Comprehensive Development and Utilization of Regional Natural Resources
    • Chapter 4 Regional Economic Development
    • Chapter 5 Inter Regional Ties and Regional Coordinated Development
  • Geography in junior high school
Elective

For Social Sciences, at least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 3 (Tourism Geography)
    • Chapter 1 Modern Tourism and Its Role
    • Chapter 2 Tourist Resources
    • Chapter 3 Appreciation of Tourism Landscape
    • Chapter 4 Tourism Development and Protection
    • Chapter 5 Be a Qualified Modern Tourist
  • Elective Course 6 (Environmental Protection)
    • Chapter 1 Environmental and Environmental Problems
    • Chapter 2 Environmental Pollution and Prevention
    • Chapter 3 Utilization and Protection of Natural Resources
    • Chapter 4 Ecological Environment Protection
    • Chapter 5 Environmental Management and Public Participation

History[28]
  • Compulsory Course 1
    • Unit 1 The Political System of Ancient China
    • Unit 2 The Political system of Ancient Greece and Rome
    • Unit 3 The Establishment and Development of Modern Western Capitalist Political System
    • Unit 4 The Trend of Anti Aggression and Democracy in Modern China
    • Unit 5 From the Theory of Scientific Socialism to the Establishment of Socialist System
    • Unit 6 Political Construction in Modern China and Reunification of the Motherland
    • Unit 7 External Relations in Modern China
    • Unit 8 The Multi Polarization Trend of the World's Political Structure Today
  • Compulsory Course 2
    • Unit 1 The Basic Structure and Characteristics of Ancient China's Economy
    • Unit 2 The Formation and Development of the Capitalist World Market
    • Unit 3 The Change of Economic Structure in Modern China and the Tortuous Development of Capitalism
    • Unit 4 The Road of Socialism With Chinese Characteristics
    • Unit 5 Vicissitudes of Social Life in Modern China
    • Unit 6 Adjustment of World Capitalist Economic Policies
    • Unit 7 Socialist Construction in the Soviet Union
    • Unit 8 Globalization of World Economy
  • Compulsory Course 3
    • Unit 1 The Evolution of the Mainstream Ideology of Chinese Traditional Culture
    • Unit 2 The Origin and Development of Western Humanistic Spirit
    • Unit 3 Science and Technology and Literature and Art in Ancient China
    • Unit 4 The History of Scientific Development in the World Since Modern Times
    • Unit 5 The Trend of Ideological Emancipation in Modern China
    • Unit 6 Major Ideological and Theoretical Achievements Since Twentieth Century
    • Unit 7 Science and Technology, Education and Literature and Art in Modern China
    • Unit 8 World Literature and Art Since Nineteenth Century
Elective

For Social Sciences, at least one of the following Elective Courses must be elected.

  • Elective Course 1 (Review of Major Reforms in History)
    • Unit 2 Shang Yang Transformation
    • Unit 3 Emperor Xiaowen's Reform in Northern Wei Dynasty
    • Unit 4 Wang Anshi Reform
    • Unit 7 Russian Serfdom Reform in 1861
    • Unit 8 Meiji Restoration
    • Unit 9 Reform Movement of 1898
  • Elective Course 3 (War and Peace in Twentieth Century)
    • Unit 1 The First World War
    • Unit 2 The World Under the Versailles Washington System
    • Unit 3 The Second World War
    • Unit 4 The Cold War and Peace Under the Yalta System
    • Unit 5 The War of War
    • Unit 6 Peace and Development
  • Elective Course 4 (Commentary on Historical Figures at Home and Abroad)
    • Unit 1 Politicians in Ancient China
    • Unit 2 The Sages of the East and West
    • Unit 3 Outstanding Figures in the European and American Bourgeois Revolution Era
    • Unit 4 The Pioneer of Asian Awakening
    • Unit 5 Proletarian Revolutionist
    • Unit 6 Outstanding Scientists

Ideology and Politics[29]
  • Compulsory Course 1 (Economic Life)
    • Unit 1 Life and Consumption
    • Unit 2 Production, Labor and Management
    • Unit 3 Income and Distribution
    • Unit 4 Developing Socialist Market Economy
  • Compulsory Course 2 (Political Life)
    • Unit 1 Citizens' Political Life
    • Unit 2 A Government Serving the People
    • Unit 3 Developing Socialist Democratic Politics
    • Unit 4 Contemporary International Society
  • Compulsory Course 3 (Cultural Life)
    • Unit 1 Culture and Life
    • Unit 2 Cultural Inheritance and Innovation
    • Unit 3 Chinese Culture and National Spirit
    • Unit 4 Developing Socialist Culture With Chinese Characteristics
  • Compulsory Course 4 (Life and Philosophy)
    • Unit 1 Life Wisdom and the Spirit of the Times
    • Unit 2 Explore the World and Seek Truth
    • Unit 3 Ways of Thinking and Innovative Consciousness
    • Unit 4 Understanding Society and Value Choice
  • Current politics
    • Major domestic and international events (April last year to march of the examination year)
    • The basic line and major policies of the communist party of China and the Chinese government at the present stage

Question Types

The following are the question types for Gaokao in 2019 in most areas of China, where the students use the Nationwide Exam Papers in Gaokao, not including some areas that have their own exam scope.

Chinese

The exam paper includes single choice questions, multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks questions, ancient article punctuation questions, ancient article translation questions, short answer questions, essay questions, writing questions and so on.

The exam paper is divided into two parts: reading questions and expression question. Reading questions (about 70 scores) are divided into two kinds: modern article reading (about 35 scores), ancient poetry and article reading (about 35 scores). Expression questions (about 80 scores) are divided into two kinds: language application (about 20 scores), writing (60 scores).

Reading questions are divided into modern article reading and ancient poetry and article reading. Modern article reading (about 9 questions) includes: discussion text reading, literary text reading, practical text reading. Ancient poetry and article reading (about 7 questions) includes: classical Chinese reading, appreciation of ancient poetry, write famous sentences from memory (from 64 poems and articles, 50 of which are in junior high school).

Expression questions are divided into language application (about 5 questions) and writing (1 question, at least 800 characters).

There are about 22 questions on the whole exam paper.

Mathematics

The whole exam paper is divided into two parts: the compulsory part and the elective part. The compulsory part contains 12 choice questions, 4 fill-in-the-blanks questions and 5 answer questions; the elective part contains each 1 answer question of "Coordinate System and Parameter Equation" "Selection of Inequalities" in Elective Courses of series 4. Students need to elect 1 question to answer from the 2 questions, and if they answer more, the scores will be given according to the first question.

The questions are divided into three question types: choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks questions and answer questions. The choice questions are single choice questions with four options to choose one. The score percentages of the three question types are approximately: choice questions 40%, fill-in-the-blanks questions 15%, answer questions 45%.

English

The exam paper consists of four parts. Among them, the first, second part and the first section of the third part are choice questions. The second section of the third part and the fourth part are non choice questions.

the first part: listening[30]

the second part: reading comprehension

This part consists of the first, second sections.

the first section: 15 questions in total, 2 scores for each question. There are 4 articles (at least 900 words), and students need to choose the best from the 4 options of each question.

the second section: 5 questions in total, 2 scores for each question. There is an about-300-word article with 5 blanks, and students need to choose the best from the 7 options.

the third part: application of linguistic knowledge

This part consists of the first, second sections.

the first section: 20 questions in total, 1.5 scores for each question. There is an about-250-word article with 20 blanks, and students need to choose the best from the 4 options of each question.

the second section: 10 questions in total, 1.5 scores for each question. There is an about-200-word article with 10 blanks, some of the blanks have a word's basic form behind them, and students need to fill in the blanks with 1 proper word or the correct form of the words given.

the fourth part: writing

This part consists of the first, second sections.

the first section: 10 scores in total. There is an about-100-word article with 10 errors. Students need to correct them by adding, deleting or modifying a word.

the second section: 25 scores in total. Students need to write an about-100-word article.

Comprehensive Natural Sciences

The exam paper includes question types: choice, fill-in-the-blanks, experiment, plot, calculation, short answer and so on.

1. The exam paper is divided into two parts. The first part is compulsory questions of the three subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and the question type is choice questions, 21 questions in total, 6 scores for each question, 126 scores in total. Among them are 6 Biology questions (single choice questions), 7 Chemistry questions (single choice questions), 8 Physics questions (contain single choice questions and multiple choice questions).

The second part consists of compulsory questions and elective questions of the three subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics. The elective contents of each subject: Biology, Chemistry, Physics are about 15 scores.

the framework of the comprehensive natural sciences exam paper
question types the number of the questions scores
the first part choice questions (I)[31] 13 questions 78 scores
choice questions (II)[32] 8 questions 48 scores
the second part compulsory questions 11 questions 129 scores
elective questions[33] elect 3 from 6 45 scores

2. exam paper assembly: The exam paper is arranged according to question types, contents, and choice questions are in the front, while non choice questions are in the back; the questions of the same subject in the same question type are centered relatively.

Comprehensive Social Sciences

1. The exam paper contains two parts: the compulsory questions and the elective questions.

The first part consists of the compulsory questions of the three subjects: Ideology and Politics, History, Geography. The question types are single choice questions (140 scores) and non choice questions (135 scores), 275 scores in total.

The second part consists of the elective questions of the two subjects: History, Geography, and the question type is non choice questions, 25 scores in total.

The compulsory contents are the Compulsory Courses of the three subjects: Ideology and Politics, History, Geography. Ideology and Politics also includes current politics; Geography relates to relevant contents in junior high school.

The elective contents contain some Elective Courses of the two subjects: Geography, History.

Geography Elective Courses: "Tourism Geography" "Environmental Protection". Each course has one non choice questions (10 scores). Students need to elect one question of them to answer, and if they answer more, the scores will be given according to the first question.

History Elective Courses: "Review of Major Reforms in History" "War and Peace in Twentieth Century" "Commentary on Historical Figures at Home and Abroad". Each course has one non choice questions (15 scores). Students need to elect one question of them to answer, and if they answer more, the scores will be given according to the first question.

2. exam paper assembly: The questions are arranged according to question types, contents and so on, choice questions are in the front, while non choice questions are in the back, and the questions of the same subject in the same question type are centered relatively.

Core literacy

Chinese
  • Language Construction and Application
  • Development and Promotion of Thinking
  • Aesthetic Appreciation and Creation
  • Cultural Inheritance and Understanding

Mathematics
  • Mathematical abstraction
  • Logical reasoning
  • Mathematical modeling
  • Intuitive imagination
  • Mathematical operations
  • Data analysis

Foreign Languages (English, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Spanish)
  • Language ability
  • Cultural awareness
  • Thinking quality
  • Learning ability

Physics
  • Physical concept
  • Scientific thinking
  • Scientific inquiry
  • Scientific Attitude and Responsibility

Chemistry
  • Macro-identification and Micro-analysis
  • Change Concept and Balance Thought
  • Evidence Reasoning and Model Cognition
  • Scientific Inquiry and Innovation Consciousness
  • Scientific Attitude and Social Responsibility

Biology
  • Life concept
  • Scientific thinking
  • Scientific inquiry
  • social responsibility

Politics
  • Political identity
  • scientific spirit
  • Consciousness of rule by law
  • Public participation

History
  • Historical materialism
  • Concept of time and space
  • Historical data demonstration
  • Historical explanation
  • Family feelings

Geography
  • Harmony between man and land
  • Comprehensive thinking
  • Regional cognition
  • Geographical practice force

Information technology (in some areas)
  • Information consciousness
  • Computational Thinking
  • Digital Learning and Innovation
  • Information society responsibility

General technology (in some areas)
  • Technological consciousness
  • Engineering thinking
  • Innovative design
  • Graphic expression
  • Physicochemical ability

Physical education (only for special students)
  • Sports ability
  • health behavior
  • Sports Morality

Art (only for special students)
  • Art Perception
  • Creative expression
  • aesthetic taste
  • Cultural Understanding

Music (only for special students)
  • Aesthetic Perception
  • artistic expression
  • Cultural Understanding

Fine art (only for special students)
  • Image Reading
  • Fine Arts Performance
  • Aesthetic Judgment
  • Creative Practice
  • Cultural Understanding

See also

Notes
  1. This is part of the policy of "One country, two systems" employed in Hong Kong and Macau, as Special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China.

References
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  9. This subject is partly a civics or introductory legal studies class, and partly ideology from the Communist Party of China.
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  30. In some areas where listening scores are not reckoned in, the scores of the other questions multiply 1.25.
  31. Choice questions (I) contain 13 questions in total, 6 scores for each question. Each question has four options, and they have only one proper option.
  32. Choice questions (II) contain 8 questions in total, 6 scores for each question. Each question has four options, and some of them have only one proper option, while some of them have multiple proper options. Who choose all the right options get 6 scores. Who choose part of the right options but not all get 3 scores. Who choose any wrong option get 0 score. The guide words show the question numbers of single choice and multiple choice.
  33. Elective questions require students to elect one question of each subject to answer from 2 Physics questions, 2 Chemistry questions, 2 Biology questions. If they answer more, the scores will be given according to the first questions of each subject.

Further reading
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