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University of Birmingham opens door to students with top grades in Chinese gaokao entrance exam
It’s the latest Western college to recognise the gruelling national admissions test
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Chinese students with top grades in the gaokao – China’s gruelling national university entrance exam – can now apply for the University of Birmingham’s undergraduate programmes without having to sit more tests.
The college is one of 24 elite universities in Britain, collectively known as the Russell Group, which also includes Cambridge and Oxford.
“We welcome people from around the globe to study at Birmingham and Chinese students form an integral part of our education and research community,” David Eastwood, vice chancellor of the university, said in a statement.
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The make-or-break gaokao, administered over two days in June, can set the course for a Chinese student’s future. Parents have been known to book hotel rooms near schools so that students can rest between subjects, or block roads to reduce traffic noise. Some students have even used IV drips to help them focus while they swot up ahead of the exam.
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Some 10 million students sit the exam annually, but only 2 per cent of them are accepted into China’s top 38 universities, and just 0.05 per cent get into Tsinghua and Peking – the Oxbridge of China.
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