Rising Stress, Sinking Test Scores: A Discussion about the Gaokao with Chinese Students

In June of next year, around 9 million students will take the biggest test of their lives, one that will determine their future. This test is the gaokao, or the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination. It’s been around since 1952, but its roots lie in the civil service examinations used in imperial China. Today, the gaokao is about nine hours long and takes place over two days in June. The test covers topics ranging from Chinese literature to math and English language. The pressure and competition are intense.

I asked a student from Datong in Shanxi province about her study habits. She said that she studies for the gaokao from 2:30 pm to 6 pm every day. She is only in her first year of high-school, and has two more until she has to take the gaokao. Can you imagine an American high-school freshman studying for the SAT for 3.5 hours every night? Chu Yun Du, a student from the Second High School attached to Beijing Normal University, is on a similar study regimen, and is quick to voice his feelings about the gaokao. “It’s… stressful”, he says hesitantly. This feeling of test-related stress is one emphasized in Western articles about the gaokao. Unlike much of the Western media, Chu Yun Du views this stress as positive. He believes that it motivates him to work harder to achieve his goals. Though the gaokao may look daunting through Western eyes, these Chinese students seem to be handling it as well as can be expected.