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Gaokao 2019

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Gaokao 2019: Over 10.3 million take national college entrance exam

More than 10-million students took China's national college entrance exam on its first day. The GaoKao is often called the most important test of their lives. This year, it happened to fall on Dragon Boat Festival which means dedicated high schoolers had to give up the holiday. And for many, the test is more than a one day affair.

Their first challenge is a two-and-a-half hour test on Chinese. They're tested on their command of the language, both in modern literature and Classical Chinese. They are also expected to show their analytical power, as well as how convincingly they can write.

"The essay topic is how resilient culture is. It's a pretty open topic, you can trace back China's long history and show how culture changed, or you can focus on a few concepts or cultural gems."

18 year-olds are expected to show the best of their brain power during Gaokao, and also their strong mentality and stamina in the two to three days of the straining standardized tests. The tests require their undivided attention, that's why honking car horns is strictly forbidden around test centers. And over the test period, cell-phone signals are disrupted in the area, so no calls, no clamor are allowed either. The Ministry of Education actually issued a national notice Wednesday, asking everyone to keep noise levels down.

The test results will come out in around two weeks and the scores will largely determine what kinds of universities students get to and if they will have to adjust their future plans. But generally, it's a much less nerve-racking experience, as even if students don't get into their first choice of school or major, they still have chances to change after enrollment.

"I believe that people live to enjoy their lives. I really just have one hope for my child: that she lives her life happily. So I don't pressure her about the test results."

"Gaokao is important. But it's still just one test and will not define their life. As long as they try their best, they should get it behind with no regrets."

And if the students managed to face Gaokao calmly and with confidence, they might also excel at the long and much more taxing test called life. SY, CGTN, BJ.

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