A record number of high school students across China have begun sitting a highly competitive exam, CNN has reported.
They said the exam could decide their future in a country grappling with a slowing economy and diminishing opportunities for young graduates.
The two-day national college entrance exam, known as “gaokao,” is the world’s largest academic test.
"The exam has been billed by Chinese state media as the world’s toughest college entrance exam due to its high stakes, competitiveness and intensity, with students pouring everything they’ve learned in 12 years into a handful of subject tests that each last less than two hours," the International media house reported.
CNN reported that more than 13.4 million students registered for the exam this year, surpassing last year’s record of 12.9 million.
Chinese students spend years cramming for difficult exams as a high score is the only way to get into the country’s top universities.
The exam is said to include subjects like Chinese Literature, Math, English, Physics, Chemistry, Politics and History.
"The overwhelming majority of students get just one shot at the gruelling test, unlike US students who can retake SAT exams. The spectre of China’s slowing economic growth and soaring youth unemployment has piled on the pressure to perform," they said.
CNN reported that on Friday, the first day of the exam, parents waited anxiously outside school gates after sending their children off into exam halls.
"Many parents and teachers were dressed in red, the colour of victory in China, and some held sunflowers deemed an auspicious flower for academic success. Authorities have rolled out a slew of measures to maintain order and stability around the examination sites," it was said.
