The Gaokao, officially known as China’s National Higher Education Entrance Examination, is one of the most important and high-stakes tests in the world. For Chinese students, it’s essentially the sole factor determining whether they can attend college and which universities they qualify for. Unlike in many countries where college admissions consider a mix of grades, personal essays, extracurricular activities, and interviews, China’s system focuses almost entirely on this one exam. Because of that, a student’s entire high school experience is built around preparing for the Gaokao. From early mornings to late nights, students study relentlessly, often attending extra tutoring classes, cramming sessions, and even special Gaokao-focused schools. The goal is simple but extremely difficult: score high enough to get into a good university, and ideally, one of China’s top institutions.

What makes the Gaokao even more intense is its unforgiving structure. It’s offered only once a year, on the exact same days nationwide, usually in early June. You can’t reschedule it under any circumstances. Whether you’re sick, experiencing a personal emergency, or facing bad weather, you’re still expected to show up and take the test. In fact, many hotels near testing centers offer major discounts for students during the Gaokao period to help them avoid the risk of unexpected traffic or delays on exam day.

If you don’t perform well, you can’t just retake it the next week or even the next month; you have to wait a full year to retake it, which often forces students to take a gap year. This puts enormous pressure on students, who often feel that their entire future depends on just two or three days of testing. The emotional and mental toll can be extreme, as students deal with anxiety, fear of failure, and the weight of expectations from family, teachers, and society. For many, the Gaokao is more than just a test, it’s a life-defining moment.

So, the next time you’re feeling nervous before a test, just remember—it’s probably low stakes compared to the Gaokao. Most tests you take can be made up, retaken, or balanced out with other parts of your academic record. But for millions of Chinese students, everything comes down to one exam, one score, on one day. Knowing that can put things into perspective and maybe even help you feel a little calmer and confident. A single test won’t define your entire future, but for Gaokao students, that pressure is very real.