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These exams differ from SAT in three major ways. First, they are offered once a year. Didn't do as well as you hope? Try again next year. Second, the material

These exams differ from SAT in three major ways. First, they are offered once a year. Didn't do as well as you hope? Try again next year. Second, the material is significantly harder. Take math as an example. The exam questions are a lot closer to AMC/AIME than to SAT. In fact, suppose language is not a problem, many Chinese middle schooler would do pretty well on SAT's math section. Also you are not allowed any calculator. Finally, for the vast majority of students, the test score is literally the only factor deciding whether you get into college. Basically, you will provide an ordered list of preferences to colleges and majors, and the student with top score's request would be satisfied first, then the second, the third, etc.

anonymousDan 6y ago
Seems a pretty fair system to me (horrendous abuses like in the article aside)
Balgair 6y ago
India has similar systems as well. One 'neat' tweak that the Indians take is the publication of the scores. You find out how you did because your name and score are printed in the newspaper, along with everyone else's. So all the gossipy aunties and your folk's friends know your score and you know the scores of everyone else in school. The social pressure to do well is insane. Your score reflects on your family, not just you.
- stordoff 6y ago
  Vaguely reminds me of the Cambridge (UK) system. Your scores can be checked online, and you can now request they not be published, but the way everyone in my social group found out their results was to make the twenty minute walk to the University admin buildings and look at the printed list posted outside. It got the "What did you get?" conversations out of the way pretty quickly!
- enitihas 6y ago
  Publications of scores doesn't happen any more, atleast for the exams similar to the gaokao, which would be the JEE. It happened only for localised exams AFAIK, where almost all applicants were local, and the pool was small enough to be printed on a newspaper. In the pre internet era, it might have been necessary though, since it wouldn't have been possible to mail all scores and expect perfect delivery in the rural parts of the country. But the internet has ensured almost all test results are online now and not published openly.
  - Balgair 6y ago
    Thank you for the update!
TrackerFF 6y ago
Here in Norway, we don't have any entrance exams - your HS grades are the only thing that counts - along with some extra points for age, military service, etc. For the most prestigious University majors, this results in two sets of students: Those that had good enough grades to get in on their first try, straight out of school - or those that simply have to wait X number of years, until they've re-taken enough classes, gained enough age points, and what not. One roomie of me during college had spent like 5 years doing all that, before finally getting accepted to medical studies. It's insane. But still, with all that, I really feel bad for the students in China / India / Singapore / etc. where your future pretty much rests on one exam, and that's that. At least here in the west, especially richer northern counties, people can "screw around" for years trying to find their way, without it hurting them too much - financially, or professionally.
- visarga 6y ago
  I have had to get admitted to high-school and college by a similar 'one exam' system, and in my time you could only pick just one high-school or college to apply to. This forced me to learn really hard in the 8th and 12th grades, like everyone in my generation. Admission was solely based on the exam score. It was scary but it made for well prepared students.
DaiPlusPlus 6y ago
> Also you are not allowed any calculator. Calculators shouldn’t be allowed on any mathematics examination. With limited exceptions, high-school mathematics and beyond is not really about arithmetic or numerical solutions, but about demonstrating understanding, which you don’t need a calculator for. Questions on exams that use numerics also put people with dyscalculia at a disadvantage even if they have great ability at differential and integral calculus and other symbolic operations. But mainly because it’s the best way to sneak-in crib notes past the exam invigilators. Especially in the US where everyone uses TI graphical calculators (yay for regulatory capture).
- closeparen 6y ago
  Maybe in China. AP Calculus BC and everything up to it is about fast and reliable execution of rote-learned algorithms.

anonymousDan 6y ago

Seems a pretty fair system to me (horrendous abuses like in the article aside)

Balgair 6y ago

India has similar systems as well. One 'neat' tweak that the Indians take is the publication of the scores. You find out how you did because your name and score are printed in the newspaper, along with everyone else's. So all the gossipy aunties and your folk's friends know your score and you know the scores of everyone else in school. The social pressure to do well is insane. Your score reflects on your family, not just you.

stordoff 6y ago
Vaguely reminds me of the Cambridge (UK) system. Your scores can be checked online, and you can now request they not be published, but the way everyone in my social group found out their results was to make the twenty minute walk to the University admin buildings and look at the printed list posted outside. It got the "What did you get?" conversations out of the way pretty quickly!
enitihas 6y ago
Publications of scores doesn't happen any more, atleast for the exams similar to the gaokao, which would be the JEE. It happened only for localised exams AFAIK, where almost all applicants were local, and the pool was small enough to be printed on a newspaper. In the pre internet era, it might have been necessary though, since it wouldn't have been possible to mail all scores and expect perfect delivery in the rural parts of the country. But the internet has ensured almost all test results are online now and not published openly.
- Balgair 6y ago
  Thank you for the update!

TrackerFF 6y ago

Here in Norway, we don't have any entrance exams - your HS grades are the only thing that counts - along with some extra points for age, military service, etc. For the most prestigious University majors, this results in two sets of students: Those that had good enough grades to get in on their first try, straight out of school - or those that simply have to wait X number of years, until they've re-taken enough classes, gained enough age points, and what not. One roomie of me during college had spent like 5 years doing all that, before finally getting accepted to medical studies. It's insane. But still, with all that, I really feel bad for the students in China / India / Singapore / etc. where your future pretty much rests on one exam, and that's that. At least here in the west, especially richer northern counties, people can "screw around" for years trying to find their way, without it hurting them too much - financially, or professionally.

visarga 6y ago
I have had to get admitted to high-school and college by a similar 'one exam' system, and in my time you could only pick just one high-school or college to apply to. This forced me to learn really hard in the 8th and 12th grades, like everyone in my generation. Admission was solely based on the exam score. It was scary but it made for well prepared students.

DaiPlusPlus 6y ago

> Also you are not allowed any calculator. Calculators shouldn’t be allowed on any mathematics examination. With limited exceptions, high-school mathematics and beyond is not really about arithmetic or numerical solutions, but about demonstrating understanding, which you don’t need a calculator for. Questions on exams that use numerics also put people with dyscalculia at a disadvantage even if they have great ability at differential and integral calculus and other symbolic operations. But mainly because it’s the best way to sneak-in crib notes past the exam invigilators. Especially in the US where everyone uses TI graphical calculators (yay for regulatory capture).

closeparen 6y ago
Maybe in China. AP Calculus BC and everything up to it is about fast and reliable execution of rote-learned algorithms.