[Weekly Early Read] In-Depth: As the New Gaokao Reform Nears Completion, What Has Been Achieved? How Will It Shape the Future? (AI Translation)
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文｜财新周刊 范俏佳 汤涵钰，蔡依佳（实习）
By Caixin Weekly’s Fan Qiaojia, Tang Hanyu, and Cai Yijia (Intern)
20多天后，李力将走入2025年高考考场。“挺有紧迫感的，学校也抓得很紧。”他说。最近他每周要经历九场考试，周末也很少回家，跟同学们一起留校自习。
In just over 20 days, Li Li will sit for the 2025 college entrance examination, known in China as the gaokao. “There’s definitely a sense of urgency, and the school is enforcing strict preparations,” he said. Recently, he has been taking up to nine exams each week and seldom goes home on weekends, instead staying on campus to study with classmates.
李力是“新高考”改革后广东省的第五届考生，今年与他面对同一张主科考卷的，还有来自山西、河南、陕西、内蒙古、四川、云南、宁夏、青海八省份的第一届新高考考生。至2025年，全国除特别行政区外，已有29省份、分五批实施新高考模式，新疆、西藏的改革也已启动。
Li Li is a member of the fifth cohort of students in Guangdong Province to take the “New Gaokao” exam following the recent reforms. This year, he and fellow students in eight other provinces—including Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Yunnan, Ningxia, and Qinghai—sat for the main subject exams under the new system for the first time in their respective regions. By 2025, a total of 29 provinces across China, excluding special administrative regions, will have adopted the new Gaokao model in five phases. Reform efforts have also begun in Xinjiang and Xizang.
新高考改革意指启动于2014年的新一轮高考改革。2014年9月，国务院印发《关于深化考试招生制度改革的实施意见》（下称《实施意见》），改革高考的考试科目设置、招生录取机制等诸多面向。此轮改革在2023年10月21日教育部部长怀进鹏向全国人大常委会报告关于考试招生制度改革情况（下称“改革报告”）时，被视为“自恢复高考以来最全面、最系统、最深刻的考试招生制度改革”。
The "New Gaokao Reform" refers to the new round of college entrance examination reforms initiated in 2014. In September of that year, the State Council released the "Implementation Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Examination and Enrollment System" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Opinions"), targeting changes to the subjects tested in the college entrance exam as well as the recruitment and enrollment mechanisms, among other aspects. When Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education, delivered a report on the state of examination and enrollment system reforms to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on October 21, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Reform Report"), this round of changes was described as "the most comprehensive, systematic, and far-reaching reform of the examination and enrollment system since the resumption of the Gaokao."
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- China's "Gaokao" (national college entrance examination) reform, initiated in 2014, is nearing completion, with 29 provinces adopting new models by 2025.
- The reform shifts towards a "3+1+2" or "3+3" subject selection system, replacing the traditional arts/science divide, but an increasing preference for science subjects (Physics, Chemistry) is observed due to professional requirements.
- Challenges include delayed and inadequate career guidance in high schools, intense academic pressure leading to extensive tutoring, and concerns about the practicality and fairness of comprehensive evaluations.
Summary:
The article reviews the progress, mechanisms, challenges, and impacts of China’s "New Gaokao" (college entrance examination) reform initiated in 2014 and now approaching its culmination, covering 29 provinces as of 2025, with Xinjiang and Tibet also beginning reforms. The reform seeks to shift from a "score-only" philosophy and "one-test determines life" system toward multi-dimensional, ability-focused selection, and broader learning assessment, integrating subject flexibility and holistic evaluation into university admissions[para. 1][para. 2][para. 3].
Paragraph 1-3:
Students like Li Li, who will take the Gaokao in 2025, face intense preparation, with frequent tests and little time off. The new system applies to most provinces, signifying the final reform stage of a process that began in 2014. According to the Ministry of Education, this round of reforms is regarded as the most comprehensive update since the national Gaokao’s resumption. The new Gaokao splits the total score into standardized subjects (Chinese, Math, English) and three elective subjects—chosen from politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, biology—eliminating the former rigid "liberal arts vs. sciences" dichotomy. University admission is based on test scores plus a reference to students' comprehensive evaluations ("two-bases one-reference" model) [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3].
Paragraphs 4-8:
The reform aimed to allow students to select subjects based on interest, but social and market forces have subverted this intent: "Physics+Chemistry" has become the preferred choice, linked to high university and professional coverage. Humanities are viewed as less advantageous for university placement and employment, leading many students to avoid them unless they struggle with sciences. Differences in subject combinations are also strong across different tiers of colleges, with elite universities favoring applicants who chose physics. Regional disparities persist, with better-resourced schools able to offer more combinations and implement flexible class groupings, while most restrict choices due to resource constraints, bringing back a subtle “liberal arts vs. sciences” divide. Despite reforms, the job market continues to highly reward STEM backgrounds, influencing decisions long before university[para. 4][para. 5][para. 6][para. 7][para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14][para. 15].
Paragraphs 9-12:
The stronger linkage between high school subject selection, university majors, and future employment means students must make informed decisions earlier, yet high school career counseling is often inadequate and students remain confused. Peer and parental influence, combined with employment data or online trends, frequently override individual aptitude, sometimes leading to mismatches and regret. The complexity of majors and admission groups (e.g., students can now face over 270 different reporting options) creates demand for private admissions consulting, a booming and sometimes unregulated industry. The greater number of choices theoretically reduces risk but increases anxiety and the burden on students and families[para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29][para. 30][para. 31][para. 32].
Paragraphs 13-15:
Despite these systemic updates, intensive exam preparation persists—students' routines remain dominated by exam drills and supplementary tutoring. The Gaokao has shifted toward more flexible, ability-based assessment (e.g., real-life scenarios, open-ended writing), and the curricula have been overhauled accordingly. Teachers are being pushed to adopt more innovative, competency-based teaching, but this raises the bar especially in under-resourced schools. These changes favor students who are naturally adaptable and capable of independent thinking, but make success harder for those less academically inclined[para. 33][para. 34][para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 38][para. 39][para. 40][para. 41][para. 42][para. 43][para. 44][para. 45][para. 46][para. 47][para. 48][para. 49][para. 50].
Paragraphs 16-18:
Comprehensive evaluations, intended to diminish score-centrism, have limited impact in admission practice—most prominent universities in Shanghai use holistic assessment for only a small fraction of admissions, and test scores still dominate. Implementation suffers from inconsistent standards, operational difficulties, and fairness concerns, especially across regions and socioeconomic backgrounds, as resourceful families can game the system more easily[para. 51][para. 52][para. 53][para. 54][para. 55][para. 56][para. 57][para. 58][para. 59][para. 60][para. 61][para. 62][para. 63][para. 64][para. 65][para. 66][para. 67][para. 68][para. 69][para. 70].
Paragraphs 19-23:
Although the reform envisaged "multiple admissions channels", the Gaokao score remains paramount for most candidates. Attempts to diversify paths—such as through the “Strong Foundation Plan” (replacing former independent admissions)—have had mixed success, sometimes attracting students who value elite school status more than the subject itself. Experts argue for separating selection from examination ("de-coupling"), but systemic, regulatory, and trust issues inhibit further progress. As social and economic competition intensifies, educational reform alone cannot resolve underlying pressures; alleviation requires broader societal changes[para. 71][para. 72][para. 73][para. 74][para. 75][para. 76][para. 77][para. 78][para. 79][para. 80][para. 81][para. 82][para. 83][para. 84][para. 85][para. 86][para. 87][para. 88][para. 89][para. 90][para. 91][para. 92][para. 93][para. 94][para. 95][para. 96][para. 97][para. 98][para. 99][para. 100][para. 101][para. 102][para. 103][para. 104][para. 105].
In conclusion, China's New Gaokao reform has brought more pathways and flexible evaluation into education, but intense competition, traditional test-preparation habits, and ingrained social expectations dilute its impact, perpetuating challenges such as educational inequality, overemphasis on STEM, and "one exam determines fate" realities[para. 106][para. 107][para. 108][para. 109][para. 110][para. 111][para. 112][para. 113][para. 114].
- Zhaopin
智联招聘 - According to the article, Zhaopin is referenced through its “2024 College Student Employability Survey Report,” which provides data on job offer rates for students of different majors. The report indicates that science and engineering graduates have higher offer rates (49.4%) compared to economics/management (47.1%) and humanities/social sciences (43.9%). This highlights ongoing employment advantages for science-related fields. No further details about Zhaopin are provided in the article.
- 2022：
- Shanxi implemented the new college entrance exam system.
- 2023：
- In the 2023 National College Entrance Examination, after adjustments to the English exam, Gu Yuanshan’s high school began arranging for the bottom 10% of students with low English scores to switch to Japanese.
- 2023：
- The gap between highest and lowest job offer rates among college graduates narrowed by half from 12.4 percentage points in 2023.
- 2023：
- By 2023, over 60% of admitted students to vocational colleges entered through the classified exam channel.
- 2024：
- Freshmen at Zhejiang universities selected subjects for the 2024 admissions; at 'Double First-Class' universities, the highest percentage chose physics (56.88%).
- 2024：
- At the school where Gu Yuanshan works, starting in 2024, only two or three of the top 100 students in each grade chose liberal arts (history track).
- mid-2024：
- Lin An’s high school in Shanghai launched a mentoring program nearly a year before 2025.
- early 2025：
- Deadline for Hunan student Jin Ya to submit subject selection form at end of first semester of sophomore year, creating household tension.
- early 2025：
- At a prestigious Shanxi county high school, the curriculum began abandoning the humanities halfway through the first semester of 10th grade.
- Spring 2025：
- During the sixth session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, reform of the exam and enrollment system was discussed.
- April 8, 2025：
- The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and State Council released 'Opinions on Accelerating the Development of a High-Quality Employment Service System for General College Graduates.'
- mid-April 2025：
- As of mid-April 2025, job offer rates for science and engineering, economics and management, and humanities and social sciences majors were reported in Zhaopin’s research.
- April 2025：
- By the end of April 2025, all courses at Sun Yun's school had concluded.
- Before June 2025：
- Li Li will sit for the 2025 gaokao (college entrance exam) in just over 20 days, implying a date in early June 2025.
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