China recently commenced its national college entrance examination, better known as the 'Gaokao'. This year's exam will see a record 12.91 million candidates, up by 0.98 million from the previous year, making it the most widely taken Gaokao exam in China's history.

The Gaokao is an annual standardised test in China that is mandatory for admission to all of the country's higher education institutions (HEIs). It is considered the most crucial exam in China, as the Gaokao score is the most significant, if not the only, factor in gaining admission to colleges and universities within China. Students are ranked based on their exam scores within their provinces, and higher education institutions (HEIs) use these scores to determine entrance requirements.

The Gaokao's admission rate has been on an upward trend for the past decade, with a significant increase from 55% in 1999 to 88% in 2019. In 2020, the admission rate reached over 90%. However, in 2022, it dropped to 85%, with 10.1454 million students gaining acceptance into colleges and universities out of the 11.93 million who registered for the exam. Of the accepted students, 4.7557 million attended graduate schools, resulting in a 39.8% acceptance rate. The remaining 5.3898 million students entered community colleges.

With more than 3000 higher education institutions (HEIs) in China, the competition for securing a spot in the top-ranking universities is intense. Of 1239 postgraduate universities, 147 are Double First-Class universities or Shuang Yiliu, highly regarded in the Chinese tertiary education system. In 2021, these top universities accepted an average of 0.67 million students out of the 10.78 million who applied, an acceptance rate of 6.7%. By comparison, Oxford University accepted around 14% of applicants for undergraduate study in 2022.

References:

The Overview of National Education Development 2023. Ministry of Education. http://www.moe.gov.cn/fbh/live/2023/55167/sfcl/202303/t20230323_1052203.html

Double First-Class Enrolment Number. Sohu. https://www.sohu.com/a/548025219_121004068

Admission Statistics. University of Oxford.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics