China's three-day national college entrance examination began on Wednesday, with nearly 13 million candidates taking part, making it the country's largest student test in history.
Around 12.91 million students are taking the exam, known as gaokao in China, including 58,000 in the capital Beijing and 10,000 disabled students across the country.
The number of students this year has surpassed the previous record set in 2022, with 980,000 more candidates registered to take the college-level entrance exam.
Authorities across the country have set up three-tier security check up systems at examination centers, and temporary traffic controls have been implemented to ensure the smooth passage of examinations.
The National College Entrance Examination is a standardized test conducted annually in mainland China for college and university admissions.
China initiated this examination in 1952. Last year’s admission rate remained at 85%, indicating that the vast majority of students enrolled.
According to the Ministry of Education's 2020 list, China has 3,005 higher education institutions, including 2,740 ordinary colleges and universities and 265 adult colleges. This list excludes institutions of higher learning in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
