International Education Guide - China - Enterprise and Advanced ...

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION FROM CHINA
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in advance. After that, students with the highest marks are
admitted in the first round into popular benke programs
offered at key public institutions. Students with lower marks
are eligible to enter benke programs offered at ordinary
public institutions or private institutions. Those with still
lower marks may be admitted into zhuanke programs.
Each institution also sets its own cut-off scores, which
can be higher than the provincially established minimum
marks. Zhuanke programs offered by prestigious
institutions may require higher marks than benke programs
at less known institutions.
Some students may receive preferential treatment such
as lower entrance marks or exemption from the NCEE.
Outstanding students meeting criteria prescribed by the
Ministry of Education may be nominated by their high
school for direct admission into an institution, which may
The 2003 cut-off marks of Peking University exceeded
the provincial minimum marks by about 100 for
humanities students and 130 for science students.
(Beijing University, 2003).
Bonus marks of 10 to 50 may be awarded to ethnic
minority students, outstanding athletes and winners of
prizes or competitions, such as the Scientific Invention
Award, at or above the municipal level.
accept or reject the nomination. In 2004 candidates for
such nominations include designated exemplary students
at the provincial level, winners of third prize or above
at National Secondary School Olympics (mathematics,
physics, chemistry, biology or information science) and
high-performing students in experimental science classes at
a few key secondary schools.
Subjects taken for the NCEE and maximum scores depend
on the chosen academic track (science or humanities), the
province or major city where the student is a registered
resident and the time period.
Until 1995 the science track generally had seven subjects:
• politics • Chinese
• mathematics • physics
• chemistry • biology
• foreign language
The humanities track had six subjects:
• politics • Chinese
• mathematics • history
• geography • foreign language
Most subjects had a maximum mark of 100, though
for a number of years it was 120 for both Chinese and
mathematics and 50 or 70 for biology. The same subject
might have different examination papers for different
tracks. For example, the mathematics paper for humanities
students was less challenging than that for science students.
After 1995 most provinces adopted the “3+2” pattern.
The “3” referred to the three core subjects for all students:
Chinese, mathematics and foreign language (usually
English). The “2” meant physics and chemistry for the
science track, or history and politics for the humanities
track. The “3+2” pattern had a total maximum mark of 750,
with each subject worth 150 points.
First introduced in Guangdong Province in 1999, the
current “3+x” pattern has been implemented across
the country since 2002. The “3” still refers to the three
compulsory subjects for all students: Chinese, mathematics
and foreign language. The “x” is a flexible component that
may include one or more of the following subjects:
• physics • chemistry
• biology • politics
• history • geography
• comprehensive science ( 理 科 综 合 )
• comprehensive humanities ( 文 科 综 合 )
• comprehensive science and humanities ( 文 理 综 合 )
Before the examination, each province or major city decides
the pattern of “x” available for its students. An institution
may also indicate the “x” required for its programs, so
that students know what subjects to take in order to get
into the programs and institutions of their choice. The
maximum mark was 150 for each single subject, 300 for a
comprehensive subject and 750 for the “3+x”.