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Advantages Of The Gaokao

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Is the Gaokao still an effective model for China and its students?
Traditionally, Chinese education has been measured on the basis of merit. Those who work hard, study the right facts, and pass the test, succeed. The test is China’s National Higher Education Entrance Examination, otherwise known as the Gaokao (高考- direct translation 'high test'). It is similar to the SAT in that it's a standardized test that determines college acceptance. However, the Gaokao is much more difficult than the SAT and is, for the most part, the only determining factor for college acceptance. The pressure adds up when companies in China only hire from the top universities, so scoring well on the Gaokao not only sets the path for college but also for one's entire career. The emphasis on the Gaokao promotes an academic system based on memorization, which means that students …show more content…

According to Traditions and Encounters, the first nationwide examinations were developed during the Han dynasty, in the early third century BCE. Emperor Han Wudi developed the Confucian educational system with the civil service exams- standardized tests- in order to select candidates for a nationwide bureaucracy (Bentley). Students could take these exams and based on their scores, they would be accepted or denied a position in the Chinese government, the most prestigious job in China. Throughout the rest of China's history, civil service examinations have been the basis for occupation and college acceptance. Today, China continues to place enormous emphasis on the examination. A Chinese student in Guanzhou, Jodie Wong, says that with China's huge population it is has been easier for college or career recruiters to assess candidates based on a single platform. Her classmate, Kevin, adds that "[the Gaokao] is almost the only way to judge your application."

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