The Chinese national college entrance exams, known locally as the Gaokao, are now taking place. Nine million students all across China are taking part this year in what is regarded as one of the toughest exams in the entire world.
The Gaokao tests students on their Chinese and English as well as their mathematics. Portions of the Gaokao also test the student based on their knowledge of science and humanities subjects. Almost the entirety of a student's life in China is focused on preparing for the Gaokao, which shows just how important it is to get good marks in it.
Good results in this exam basically assure good employment and high earnings. However, a low score could spell a low-status job coupled with low income. Familial disappointment also comes to those who do not do so well in their Gaokao examination.
Because of this, intelligent students or recent graduates are hired as "Gaokao nannies," according to BBC News. The job of these "nannies" is to live with students and study with them in the time before the exam. Some parents also opt to book their child a hotel room near the testing center so they will not have to endure heavy traffic and instead use that time to study.
For the first time ever, Gaokao takers may face jail time if they are caught cheating. Heightened security measures have been taken to make sure that this does not happen. Prior to gaining entrance to a testing center, a student must undergo multiple checkpoints that involve facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, says China.org.
The rooms wherein the examinations are held are also radio-shielded to make sure that test-takers do not receive any outside help whatsoever. In some regions finger vein recognition, which go beyond fingerprints, will be used for the first time. Some testing centers will also use signal-intercepting drones to cut out any radio signals.
