China education: ‘professional test taker’ declined Peking University twice to resit entrance exam for more prize money investigated
- Many private secondary schools in China use cash incentives to lure high-scoring students to enrol and re-take the gaokao university entrance exam
- There are no rules against these students, known as ‘professional test takers’ but the case has reignited debate over the reward practice
The student, surnamed Quan, has twice been admitted to the prestigious Peking University (PKU) and was reportedly paid two million yuan (US$300,000) in total.
Secondary schools often offer financial incentives to students taking the infamously difficult exam, if they gain admission to universities like PKU or Tsinghua University, China’s top two educational institutions.
After the story broke and generated heated public discussion the local education authority in Guangdong province, southern China, launched an investigation.
Quan took the gaokao in 2020 and 2021 and was admitted by PKU both times based on his high scores. At the time he was attending Beida Affiliated Experimental School in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, later renamed the Boya School in 2021.
He then transferred to Qingniao Experimental School in Huazhou in southwestern Guangdong province at the beginning of this year and sat the gaokao for a third time.
Earlier this month, the Huazhou school released a congratulatory poster praising Quan for getting the highest marks out of all 70,000 students in Maoming city which administers Huazhou.
