The Synergy Project Magazine - September 2020

GAOKAO: CHINA’S CO
By: Jessica Yan
Standardized tests are
well-known by our students
in the United States; they
affect the outcomes of the
students’ GPAs and grades
and hold only a portion
of what colleges look for
in accepting students. But
what if one standardized
test determined the outcome
of one’s entire future? For
Chinese students, this isn’t
theoretical—it is reality.
The GaoKao, also known
as the National College
Entrance Examination, is
one of the most competitive
examinations globally. It
is an annual examination
held in July for students in
China in their final year of
high school. It consists of
subjects such as the Chinese
language and literature,
a foreign language,
mathematics, another
subject of their choice,
along with bewildering
essay prompts. Lasting a
total of nine hours for two
days, the GaoKao is said to
be the main standard that
determines a student’s future
and success. However, the
GaoKao should not be the
only factor that decides the
students’ fates because of
its substantial advantages
given to high-income
students and restrictions on
free speech.
One major concern
with the GaoKao is how it
heavily favors students living
in urban areas. According to
the article “The World’s Most
Important Exam Is Flawed,”
“those who have the best
chance of scoring well are
rich city-dwellers. Poorer
people in many countries
suffer disadvantages in
education, but in China, such
problems are magnified
by government spending
on schools that are heavily
skewed in favor of cities.”
This hinders students living
in poorer regions from being
able to get higher scores.
Seeing that the GaoKao
puts certain students at a
disadvantage, it is not an
effective way to gauge
potential and future success.
Another issue with
the exam is the limit on
free speech with the essay
questions. The article states,
“students have to tailor
their answers to suit the
Communist Party’s views.
Sun Chunlan, a deputy
prime minister, recently said
the GaoKao system was
‘tasked with the important
mission to educate and
pick talent for the state.’”
Whenever students write
essays about Mr. Xi or the
04 THE SYNERGY PROJECT MAGAZINE