In China, crunch time for 10.7 million students as university entrance exams are held

Notoriously tough tests known as gaokao will be held this week after they were delayed by a month because of the coronavirus pandemic

Measures are in place to avoid spread of the virus including temperature checks, physical distancing and disinfecting exam facilities

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Students across China have been preparing for this week’s university entrance exams. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00am, 7 Jul 2020Updated: 8:00am, 7 Jul 2020

The next few days will be nerve-racking for many families across mainland China, with a record number of students about to sit the national university entrance exams after they were delayed by a month because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Education authorities are expecting some 10.71 million students to take the notoriously tough tests – known as the gaokao – the results of which will decide if and where they will go to university.

Students in most parts of the country will sit the exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, while they will be held through to Thursday elsewhere.

Measures are in place to avoid the virus being spread during the gaokao – including temperature checks for students before they can enter the more than 7,000 exam facilities, according to the education ministry.

Staff and students have also been asked to check and report their temperatures daily in the 14 days before the gaokao. The ministry said 950,000 officials and teachers would oversee the exams.

Isolation rooms will be available for students to get help if they develop symptoms on exam day. And masks are to be worn by everyone, though students in low-risk areas can take them off during the test.