High-tech equipment has been deployed in exam rooms nationwide to stamp out cheating.

Students smile when they went to schools to familiarize themselves with the test rooms in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province June 6, 2006. [newsphoto]

Electronic monitoring devices, mobile phone detectors and shielding machines are being widely used.

More than 1,600 exam sites in Beijing have been equipped with tele-electric monitoring systems. And supervisors can watch exam halls in detail on closed-circuit television networks.

In Central China's Henan Province electronic shielding machines have been installed in all exam halls in to prevent cheating through mobile phones.

Figures from the Ministry of Education reveal that about 1,700 examinees were disqualified for cheating in last year's exam.

Before the exam began Vice- Minister of Education Zhao Qinping reiterated that any student found cheating will get a zero in that exam.

Some students in East China's Fujian Province are the only lucky youngsters to have escaped the test.

Because of flooding caused by days of torrential rain about 4, 600 students in Jian'ou have had their exams postponed.

When the exam will be held depends on the weather, the local education bureau said last night.

In South China's Guangdong Province days of heavy rain did not affect the 520,000 examinees yesterday.

In Dabu County of the city of Meizhou, 620 students from badly hit rural and suburban areas were relocated to urban areas for the exam.

Two students in the provincial capital of Guangzhou were diagnosed with chicken pox during yesterday's exams, but were transferred to a separate room to continue the test.

In Harbin, provincial capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, a father and son caught many people's attention as they walked into the exam side by side.

As the eldest examinee in the province, 46-year-old Meng Fanlian said he was excited to be taking the exam at the same time as his 18-year-old son.

"It's my first time taking the exam," he said. "I will try my best."

He said his favourite subject is English and he gets up early every morning to read English with his son, who has just graduated from the city's No 9 Middle School.

"I want to compete with my son to see who can perform better in the exam," he said. "It's encouraging for him."

(China Daily 06/08/2006 page2)