Summary

Over the last few years, different provinces across China have been switching to a more flexible format for the gaokao, the country's high-stakes university entrance examination. High school entrants in pilot provinces started studying for the revised gaokao in 2014, taking their final exams in 2017, and four more provincial-level regions switched to the new format in 2017. But although the majority of Chinese provinces were intended to start preparing students for the new test from the 2018-19 academic year, more than half have postponed these plans with only eight still planning to introduce the new gaokao in 2021.

This rollout had already been delayed, as the original plan was for the new-format exam to be extended across the whole country for students entering high school in 2017-18 academic year. It means that only 14 provinces and municipalities will be running the new-format gaokao for students sitting their final exams in 2021. One province, Anhui, started the academic year with plans to use the new-format exam but had switched back by mid-September.

One of the major changes in the new-format exam is that students can choose three optional subjects from a list of six or seven, instead of choosing between a combined Arts or Sciences paper. This is in addition to compulsory exams in Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language (almost always English). According to local media the main reason for the delays was an imbalance in students' subject choices, most notably a decline in the number of students choosing physics as one of their options. As well as causing an imbalance in demand for subject teachers this also has negative effects on university enrolment in relevant subjects, as physics is classed as a required subject for more university courses than any other gaokao option.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, International Education Services

The decline in physics candidates is due to the grading system of the new gaokao. Each optional subject is graded on a curve, in order to equalise the average scores across options. But physics is seen as attracting the smartest students which would make it harder for other students to get a good score. This has resulted in marginal students avoiding physics which in turn makes it even harder for average students to get a good score, leading to a vicious cycle where even more students abandon the subject. As a result the proportion of students choosing this subject has declined each year in the pilot provinces. One potential solution, which will be adopted by Zhejiang, is to set a floor on the number of candidates for the purpose of grade calculation - from the 2020 exam session, scores for each optional subject will be calculated as if at least 65,000 students (around a quarter of the total) chose this option even if the true number is lower. It remains to be seen whether this approach will be effective.

Overseas universities are paying closer attention to the gaokao, with a lot of publicity surrounding the University of Birmingham's recent decision to accept Chinese students based on gaokao results. When making admissions decisions based on these scores it is important to understand the differences between gaokao exams across various parts of China, and to be aware of changes to the exam's format.

The most recent list of the provinces and municipalities that have started to teach the new-format gaokao is as follows:

  • Started to teach in 2014, first new-format exams in 2017: Shanghai, Zhejiang
  • Started to teach in 2017, first new-format exams in 2020: Beijing, Hainan, Shandong, Tianjin
  • Started to teach in 2018, first new-format exams in 2021: Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Liaoning

When recruiting students from provinces using the new gaokao, Chinese universities set requirements for many of their courses on which optional subjects that students must have studied. For example, a physics degree course would only recruit students who have chosen physics as one of their gaokao options, while other programmes might require candidates to have studied at least one science subject. UK universities that enrol students on the basis of gaokao results are advised to set similar requirements.

Sources

1. 21st Century Business Herald - Some new gaokao pilots delayed; [students] abandoning physics is the main point to reform (in Chinese): http://epaper.21jingji.com/html/2018-11/09/content_96117.htm

2. British Council International Education Services - An update on reforms to China's Gaokao university entrance examination (October 2017): https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/update-reforms-chinas-gaokao-university-entrance-examination