Students nationwide sit gaokao

Fa, who has taught high school classes for more than 20 years, said students nowadays are more aware of their interests and are not afraid to speak out about their preferences.

"As China's economy has grown rapidly in recent years, and with more job opportunities emerging, the gaokao cannot shape one's destiny as it did in the past, and students and parents have a more rational attitude toward the exam," she said.

However, it is still an important exam, as it offers students access to quality education resources, which give them more opportunities to land good jobs, she said.

Students from rural areas and places that have just been lifted out of severe poverty will continue to enjoy favorable policies when they apply for major universities this year, according to the Ministry of Education.

Special enrollment plans will continue to enable more students from rural and once impoverished areas to go to key universities and colleges, the ministry said in a notice in April.