The university entrance examination results for the academic year 2012/13 were published earlier this month.  The overall passing rate decreased by over two per cent from last year’s 90.44 per cent, coming in at 88 per cent, the lowest in the past eight years.  One of the major reasons is that, increasingly, students are enrolled in universities and colleges through routes such as individual applications or institutional recommendations.  The fact that the number of examination candidates was 6,000 less and the number of places released for the entrance examination was cut by 7,000 also resulted in the lower passing rate this year.   

While the majority of students remained in Taiwan for their higher education, an increasing number of high-performers are looking overseas for opportunities.  Taiwan’s two prestigious senior high schools, Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School and Taipei First Girls' High School, have both seen more students choosing to study at foreign universities in North America, China, Hong Kong and etc.  Many of these foreign universities offer generous scholarships to attract top students from Taiwan.  And their ability to provide an international study experience is also a key attraction for academically-minded youngsters, reported the Central News Agency and the United Daily.