12.9 Million Exam Takers, 348,000 Exam Rooms and a Lifetime Test. How China Holds the Gaokao in the Rain and for the Blind
7,981 test sites, dedicated traffic lanes, flood prevention and Braille for 14,000 students with disabilities
As reported by CCTV+, on Sunday, China’s annual national college entrance examination — the Gaokao — began. This year, 12.9 million exam takers (high school graduates) took part.
Across the country, 348,000 exam rooms have been set up at 7,981 test sites. The process is monitored by the command centre of the National Examination Authority.
The exam coincides with rainy weather in many regions. Local authorities dispatched emergency personnel to create special traffic lanes, ensuring that examinees could reach the test sites safely.
Authorities also prepared supplies for possible flooding and conducted thorough safety checks of roads and areas around test sites to identify and eliminate potential hazards in advance.
This year, convenient services have been provided for more than 14,000 examinees with disabilities. For example, test papers printed in Braille have been prepared for seven completely blind participants in five of the 31 provincial regions.
The Gaokao is China’s unified national college entrance examination, which determines admission to higher education institutions. The results largely influence a person’s entire future.
12.9 million exam takers. 348,000 exam rooms. Rain, floods, special needs. China’s Gaokao is not just a test of knowledge. It is a nationwide mobilisation.
Special lanes for students, Braille for the blind, patrols on the roads. The system works like clockwork to ensure that no candidate is late or performs worse than they could. The question is not whether the exam is difficult. It is difficult. The question is how far society is willing to go to give everyone a fair chance. The answer — hundreds of kilometres ahead. Even in the rain.
