The National College Entrance Examination is commonly known as Gao Kao (“big test”). Each year, high school graduates across the country take the examination simultaneously, over a three day period during the month of June.
According to an English teacher in Guangzhou, "The Gao Kao is the most pressure-packed examination in the world given the numbers, the repercussions, and the stress involved." The examination is essentially the only criterion for college admissions. Because of this, students hoping to attend university will spend most of their waking moments studying for the exam.
In some cities, police cars are barred from using their sirens during testing hours, and taxis are given yellow signs allowing them right of way when delivering students to their test sites. In others, construction is halted at night for fear that the noise might stand in the way of a good night's sleep for the students.
Three subjects are mandatory, Chinese, Mathematics and a foreign language (usually English.) The other six standard subjects are three sciences Physics, Chemistry and Biology and three humanities, History, Geography and Political Education.
