China unveils long-awaited plans to reform rigid national university entrance exam
Under a trial scheme, tests for some subjects would be held during high school years rather than lumped together as a single huge assessment
Education authorities have rolled out an ambitious plan to reform the mainland's national university entrance exam, giving pupils more control over the process.
Under the new proposals, university admissions will rely less on the results of the two-day national exam, or gaokao, and more on standardised tests pupils take during their high school career.
Currently, the national exam comprises three tests - for Chinese, English and mathematics - and a broader fourth one that covers three subjects related to either social science or science, depending on which stream the pupil entered.
That fourth test would be dropped from the national exam by 2020, the ministry said. Instead, pupils will need to take separate standardised tests covering all the six subjects. But they can choose to take the tests at any point in their high school career, and decide which three results are used for their university admission.
The new scheme also promises that pupils will have a second chance to pass the tests, as well as the English test taken as part of the national exam.