Photo: Lu Ting/GT

Friday marks the start of the 2024 national college entrance examinations, or gaokao, one of the most important exams for Chinese students, with a staggering 13.42 million students heading to examination centers across the country, an increase of 510,000 students from 2023.

As the country gears up for both the two-day gaokao and the three-day traditional festival --- Dragon Boat Festival holidays (Saturday-next Monday), a mix of excitement and challenges await students, their families and the general public alike. 

Photo: Li Hao/GT

In Beijing which welcomed rain early in the morning, before the exam began, students had started to enter the exam site at the Beijing No.8 High School in Xicheng district, a Global Times reporter observed. Outside the exam site, a rest area for parents was set up, and inside, a corridor was built for students to walk through after verifying their identities at the entrance, reducing the impact of a mix of rain and high temperatures.

Photo: Lu Ting/GT

In Shanghai, a Global Times reporter found outside the High School Affiliated to East China University of Political Science and Law that some parents wore traditional qipao garments to wish their children success during the exams. Some students were seen eating dingsheng cake, which translates as "must win" to garner good luck before the beginning of the examination. 

This year, seven provinces and regions including Jilin, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Gansu have implemented the new gaokao system for the first time. The exam structure follows a "3+1+2" model, with three core subjects (Chinese, mathematics, foreign languages) set by the Ministry of Education (MOE), one preferred subject, and two elective subjects.

In addition to the exam format changes in various regions, the MOE and other departments have deployed efforts to strengthen services around accommodation, noise control, and other sectors, to provide convenience for special needs groups such as those with disabilities during exams. Additionally, relevant departments should make preparations in case of extreme weather and natural disasters, the MOE noted in a statement.

To create a conducive exam environment, many regions have implemented "exam protection" and "quiet mode" measures. 

For instance, in Beijing, special "priority lanes" have been set up in subway stations for students and parents traveling to exam centers, offering expedited ticketing and security checks. In Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province, construction noise within a 500-meter radius of exam venues is prohibited during the exam period.

Every year during the gaokao, some candidates forget or lose their identification documents, experience physical discomfort, encounter traffic congestion, and are unable to arrive at the examination centers on time. The Ministry of Public Security reminds candidates, parents, and examination staff to prepare relevant documents and stationery in advance, and in case of emergencies, to report to the police for assistance. The traffic police have also established a green channel to handle every request for help on the way to the exams.

Meanwhile, a number of high-tech measures are also being used to ensure fairness and safety during the exams.

For example, in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, upgraded intelligent security gates can now detect new cheating devices such as smart watches and glasses, to ensureing a fair exam environment.

According to media reports from Beijing, the capital city has upgraded its intelligent inspection system for gaokao invigilation, launching a real-time intelligent inspection platform for the first time. The video surveillance recognition will be more sensitive, capturing actions such as turning heads, bending down to pick up items, and interactions between invigilators and students, allowing for a rapid identification of suspected violations by candidates. 

As the exam season unfolds, public security authorities have cracked down on organized cheating and exam fraud cases. The MOE advised candidates to carefully read and follow exam instructions, bring necessary documents and tools, confirm details, and avoid bringing prohibited items such as mobile phones into the exam room.

In many parts of the country, as on the first day of the gaokao, rain or drizzles arrived as expected. Meteorologists point out that China usually enters the main flood season in June. China's Central Meteorological Center has predicted that during the gaokao period this year, there will be moderate to heavy rain in the East China, South China, and Southwest China, with some areas experiencing heavy rain. The northern part of North China will see showers or thunderstorms, with localized moderate to heavy rain. In addition, northern and eastern Xinjiang in Northwest China, central and southern North China and other areas will experience temperatures above 35 C, with some areas reaching 39 C, and in eastern Xinjiang, southern Hebei, northern Henan, and Shandong, temperatures may reach 40 to 41 C.

Unlike previous years, this year's gaokao coincides with the Dragon Boat Festival. On Thursday, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reminded tourists to pay attention to travel safety during the flood season. Most of the southern regions of China have entered the flood season, with many tourists participating in water-related activities such as dragon boat races.