No one has ever gotten a perfect score on the Gaokao, the Chinese college entrance exam that lasts over 2 days in June. It is made up of four three hour papers: Chinese, English, Maths and a choice of either sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) or humanities (geography, history, politics). The exam is national event; construction work is halted near examination halls so as not to disturb the students, and traffic is diverted. Ambulances are on call in case of nervous collapse, and police cars patrol to keep the streets quiet. Students who do well can look forward to successful careers and even good marriage prospects.
It’s mandatory for students willing to pursue higher education. That’s why nearly 10 million candidates appear every year. Only about 0.2% candidates score enough to get into the top colleges. The Gaokao has been such a big cause of anxiety among teenagers that many documentaries have been made on this exam.
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