Preparations underway to ensure smooth, fair gaokao

Multiple ministries in China are ramping up efforts to ensure the safety and fairness of the national college entrance examinations, or gaokao, which will kick off on Friday.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows that 13.42 million students have registered for this year's gaokao, an increase of 510,000 compared with last year. Local education authorities have been urged to strictly regulate management to ensure that the exams are conducted safely.

The gaokao is one of the most important exams for Chinese students and is widely viewed as a key factor in determining a student's future prospects.

Supervision should be strengthened over the entire exam process including question setting, printing and transportation of the exam papers and grading, the ministry said, adding that higher education institutions should ensure fairness and transparency during admission as well.

Meteorological, earthquake and other relevant departments have been asked to release timely information about any natural disasters before and after the exams, guiding local authorities to enhance their response in the event of exam-related emergencies.

The Education Ministry emphasized the importance of combating exam fraud to ensure justice. Special measures will be launched, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security, to crack down on the sale of cheating devices and to eliminate proxy test-takers, it said.

Security check protocols for candidates entering exam venues should be strictly enforced, while testing centers should be fully equipped with intelligent security gates, and wireless signals should be effectively blocked in exam halls, the Education Ministry said.

Smart monitoring and inspection of exam venues will be tightened to prevent high-tech cheating, it added.

Many higher education institutions also issued notices recently to strengthen student management and prevent proxies or other forms of exam assistance.

Yantai University in Shandong province said in a circular late last month that it will resolutely prevent its students from acting as proxies in gaokao.

It is essential for students to understand the severe consequences of getting involved in cheating, and they should be educated to refuse any form of fraud, whether online or offline, the university said.

As this year's gaokao overlaps with the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which starts on Saturday, some university students will not be present on campus, posing threats to student management and increasing the possibilities of cheating.

Local authorities have been urged to regulate exam-related training institutions and strictly combat illegal activities such as false advertising and charging expensive consultation fees.

Meanwhile, candidates will be provided with personalized services in terms of transportation, accommodations and medical care, the Education Ministry said.

Customized Braille exam papers will be prepared for 15 visually challenged candidates nationwide, and over 11,000 candidates with disabilities will be provided with convenient accommodations, it added.

Ren Yanhong, a mental health teacher at Beijing Academy, said that gaokao takers should turn their anxiety into motivation to do well on the exams. "When anxiety occurs, students should be aware of what happened instead of being trapped in the feelings. The biggest enemy of anxiety is action," Ren said.