The Zhongkao is China's standardized examination for students completing junior secondary school, used to determine admission to senior high schools, including academic and vocational tracks. Administered by provincial and municipal education authorities rather than nationally, it functions as an earlier, lower-stakes counterpart to the Gaokao, and policy in some regions has used a quota system to channel a defined share of students into vocational rather than academic senior schools.
Facts
Classification
Policy TypeAssessment or Standards Policy 1 Education LevelUpper Secondary Education (ISCED 3) 1 Key ProvisionExam scores are used for both junior high school graduation and senior high school admissions 1 Policy Status
Policy Status (category) FAQs
What happens to students who do not score high enough on the Zhongkao?
About half go to regular high schools and the rest go to vocational schools or leave school.
Sixth Tone reports that about half of China's middle school graduates are admitted to regular high schools, where they can take the Gaokao three years later and apply to regular undergraduate universities. The lower-scoring half either study in a vocational secondary school or drop out. The report describes this as a 50 percent pass rate set by the Ministry of Education, and says the regular high school admission rate rose only slightly, from 58.25 percent in 2001 to 64.92 percent in 2021.
Sources
1. Zhongkao (Wikipedia)
Introductory section
The exam scores are used for both junior high school graduation and senior high school admissions.
Lead section
The Junior High School Scholastic Aptitude Examination (初中学业水平考试), commonly abbreviated as the Zhongkao (中考), is the examination for junior high school graduation in China.
Description, education-level classification
The Zhongkao is China's standardized examination for students completing junior secondary school, used to determine admission to senior high schools, including academic and vocational tracks.
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