The vocabulary of the exam.

The National College Entrance Examination, held annually on June 7-8 (some provinces June 7-10). The primary route into Chinese higher education.

Universities that admit in the first admission batch. Historically the most selective national and provincial research universities.

See also · 二本 · 本科批

Universities that admit in the second batch. Broad regional and specialist universities; the tier is being merged with 一本 in new-gaokao provinces.

See also · 一本

The unified admission batch replacing the 一本/二本 split in provinces implementing the new gaokao.

Two- to three-year vocational or applied programs, admitting after the undergraduate batches.

The score threshold for a batch or specific university/major. See 批次线 and 投档线 for the two distinct meanings.

The provincial cutoff determining which tier of universities a candidate is eligible to apply to.

The minimum score at which a specific university and major admitted students in a given year.

The ranked list of universities and majors a candidate submits after scores are released.

The (usually few-day) window after score release when candidates lock in their university and major choices.

The dominant preference-submission format: a ranked list where the system slots you into the highest-ranked school willing to admit you at your score.

The standard three-tier strategy for filling 平行志愿 — reach schools above your score, target schools around your score, safety schools clearly below.

See also · 平行志愿

The number of seats each university reserves for each major in each province in a given year.

A 1998 initiative naming 39 universities for elite state funding. Superseded operationally by 双一流 but still widely used as shorthand.

A broader 1990s initiative naming ~115 universities for national investment. Also superseded by 双一流.

The current (2017-) elite designation, naming both universities and specific disciplines for state investment. Updated in 2022 and 2025.

Formal alliance of nine top research universities modeled loosely on the American Ivy League. Established 2009.

The elective-subject reform rolled out province-by-province since 2014, replacing the old 文理 split with 3+1+2 or 3+3 subject choices.

The old two-track system that separated humanities and science students in senior high school. Replaced by 新高考 in most provinces.

Under the new gaokao: three core subjects (Chinese, math, English), one primary elective (physics or history), and two additional electives chosen from the remaining pool.

Under the new gaokao: elective subjects are scored by percentile rank rather than raw points, to fairly compare students who chose different subjects.

A comprehensive paper combining multiple subjects — 文综 for humanities (history, geography, politics) and 理综 for sciences (physics, chemistry, biology), in provinces still using the old system.

Chinese language and literature. 150-point paper, 150 minutes. Reading, classical Chinese, and a graded essay.

The dominant essay format on the gaokao Chinese paper — a clear thesis, three supporting arguments with examples, and a closing that elevates the point.

Pre-modern literary Chinese. Tested through reading passages and translation questions on the Chinese paper.

A student's ongoing notebook of missed questions, organized (ideally) by class of mistake rather than by individual question.

A full-length practice paper taken under exam conditions. Schools run multiple across senior year — 一模, 二模, 三模.

The first major mock exam, usually late in the first semester of senior year. Often used as a diagnostic to set target universities.

Taking an additional year of senior high to re-sit the gaokao. Common practice; 复读班 (resit classes) are widespread.

The official document, issued in advance, that admits a candidate to the exam room. Must be brought to every session along with the national ID card.

The Chinese national identification card. Required at every exam session; a passport does not substitute.

The optically scanned answer sheet on which final answers must be entered. Anything outside the printed boxes is invisible to the grader.

The centralized grading period after the exam. Objective questions are machine-scored; subjective sections are double-blind marked by trained teachers.

The (limited) process by which a candidate can request a recount of their total. Substantive re-grading of subjective answers is not offered.

A discontinued pre-gaokao admission channel for elite universities; largely replaced by 强基计划 and other targeted programs.

A 2020- program at top universities to admit students in fundamental disciplines (math, physics, chemistry, biology, philosophy, classics) through combined exam and interview.

Reserved-seat admissions program at elite universities for students from designated rural and poverty-alleviation counties.

Provincial version of the reserved-seat program, targeting rural counties within the province.

The separate examination track for students applying to arts and design programs. Combines a specialist exam with the gaokao.

A separate track for students applying to physical education and sports programs.

The illegal practice of moving household registration to a province with a more favorable score-to-seat ratio. Actively policed.

The registration system that ties a candidate to a specific province for gaokao purposes. Determines which paper and which admission quota apply.

The official school enrollment record. Combined with 户籍 it determines eligibility to sit the gaokao in a given province.

When a candidate is admitted to a university but not to their chosen major, they may be 'reassigned' to another major with available seats — if they opted in during application.

A follow-up application window for universities and majors that did not fill their seats in the main round.

A one-year foundation program for ethnic-minority students admitted below the standard cutoff, preparing them for the regular undergraduate curriculum.