The gaokao is China's notoriously tough entrance exam, that can also get you into western universities — check out its punishing questions

Reuters

• China's version of the American SAT and British A-level exams takes place in June every year.
• It's called the gaokao, and is known as one of the toughest exams in the world.
• Lots of western universities now take Chinese students based on their gaokao scores, rather than other standardized tests.
• Scroll down to see past questions.

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The US, Europe, Australia, and Canada may see an influx of Chinese students in the coming years as more and more universities admit them based on China's notoriously tough national standardized test.

Earlier this month the University of New Hampshire became the first US state university to accept students based on their scores their scores in the gaokao, China's amped up version of the US SAT or British A-level exams.

Australia's University of Sydney, Canada's University of Toronto, Italy's Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze and some private US institutions also accept it.

The gaokao — which means "high exam" in Chinese — takes place over two days in June across the country every year. More than 9.7 million people across the country took it this year, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The subjects on the test vary by region but typically include the Chinese language, mathematics, and a foreign language (typically English), Xinhua said.

The hardest questions are the essays — which can range from the student's views on philosophy, history, the environment, and President Xi Jinping's policies.

Try and tackle 15 questions from past gaokao exams here:

If x + y ≥ a, x - y ≤ -1, and the minimum value of z = x + ay = 7, what is a?

A. -5

B. -5 or 3

C. 3

D. 5 or -3

Answer: B

Source: Gaokao 2018 via People's Daily

Between June and August, a cruise ship travels from Fujian province to Venice, via Mumbai, as part of Xi's "21st century maritime silk road" strategy. Which of the following would it experience on the way?

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A. When passing through the South China Sea, the cruise will face continuous rain.

B. When passing through the Arabian Sea, the cruise will sail against winds and currents.

C. When passing through the Red Sea, large stretches of forests will be seen alongside the coast.

D. When passing through the Mediterranean Sea, the cruise will experience several days of rainstorms.

Answer: B.

Source: Gaokao 2015, via China Daily

Related: Inside 'Belt and Road,' China's mega-project that is linking 70 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa

Four students can choose to participate in a charity event either on Saturday or Sunday. What’s the probability that there is at least one student at both Saturday's and Sunday's events?

A. 1/8

B. 3/8

C. 5/8

D. 7/8

Answer: D.

Source: Gaokao, year unknown, via Bloomberg

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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