Fortress Exams and Fragile Dreams: What India Can take from China’s Gaokao Model

• Gaokao (13+ million candidates) and NEET-UG (2.2 million) are life-defining national exams.

• NEET faces repeated paper leak controversies, undermining student trust.

• China enforces military-grade security, AI surveillance, biometrics, and strict criminal penalties.

• Exam integrity reflects governance credibility and fairness.

• India may need stronger enforcement and systemic reform.

• Protecting exam credibility safeguards students’ aspirations and social mobility.

As millions of students across Asia sit for life-altering entrance examinations each year, the contrast between how nations safeguard these tests has come into sharp focus. In June 2025, more than 13 million students in China appeared for the Gaokao, the country’s national college entrance examination—making it one of the largest and most consequential academic tests in the world. By comparison, India’s NEET-UG, the gateway to undergraduate medical education, saw around 2.2 million candidates take the exam on May 3 this year.

Yet while the scale of these examinations is staggering in both countries, the systems that protect their integrity have drawn very different reactions.

NEET-UG: Aspirations Interrupted

India’s National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET-UG), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), serves as the single, standardised examination for admission into MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH programmes nationwide. Designed to ensure merit-based selection and replace multiple state-level tests, NEET was intended to bring uniformity and transparency to medical admissions.

However, controversy has once again clouded the process. Just eight days after the May 3, 2026 examination, allegations of a question paper leak surfaced, prompting the NTA to cancel the test. The decision left millions of aspirants in limbo, echoing similar disruptions witnessed in 2024. Critics argue that despite previous crises, systemic vulnerabilities have yet to be fully addressed.

Renowned mathematics educator and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar, speaking to Aaj Tak TV, called for a tougher stance against malpractice. He urged authorities to tighten regulations around coaching centres and adopt stringent anti-leak measures similar to those implemented in China. According to Kumar, repeated scandals damage students’ morale and erode trust in the system.

Gaokao: The Examination That Shapes a Nation

In China, the Gaokao is more than a test—it is a defining milestone. Officially known as the National College Entrance Examination, it is the principal route to nearly all higher education institutions across mainland China. Administered nationally by the Ministry of Education but organised at the provincial level, the exam is typically taken by 18-year-old high school seniors.

In 2025 alone, approximately 13.35 million students sat for the Gaokao. Candidates are assessed in core subjects including Chinese, Mathematics, and a foreign language, with mathematics often regarded as particularly demanding. Performance in the Gaokao can determine entry into elite universities, influencing career prospects and long-term social mobility.

Families frequently invest years of preparation into this single examination, viewing success as a pathway to stability and upward mobility. The Gaokao is often compared with India’s JEE and NEET in terms of competitiveness and life-changing stakes.

Introduced in 1977, the exam has been credited with enabling merit-based access to higher education for generations of Chinese students. Other competitive tests in China, such as the Zhongkao (for senior high school entry) and the Guokao (for civil service recruitment), also maintain strict oversight—but none match the Gaokao’s intensity of security.

A Security Apparatus Like No Other

China treats the Gaokao question papers as classified material, reportedly handling them under protocols akin to state secrets. Security measures begin months before exam day. Papers are prepared under tightly controlled conditions and printed in specially designated secure facilities under round-the-clock surveillance.

After printing, exam materials are transported with armed police escorts, GPS tracking, and layered storage systems requiring multiple authorisations for access. On examination days, authorities deploy metal detectors and intelligent security gates to detect electronic devices such as phones and smartwatches.

Biometric verification—including facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and iris checks—is used at many centres to prevent impersonation. Radio signal blockers are activated to disrupt unauthorised communication. In some regions, drones and specialised police units monitor surroundings for suspicious activity.

Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in supervision. AI-enabled cameras track unusual behaviour in examination halls, flagging suspicious gestures or movements in real time. Reports also indicate that certain AI-based image recognition services are temporarily restricted during exam hours to prevent misuse.

The seriousness with which the Gaokao is treated extends beyond exam halls. Authorities have historically rerouted flights to minimise noise during listening tests. Construction activity, car honking, commercial promotions, and other disruptive activities are restricted within a 500-metre radius of examination centres.

Cheating in national exams was formally criminalised in China in the mid-2010s. Offenders can face prison terms ranging from three to seven years, along with fines and bans from future examinations. Officials found negligent in their duties are also subject to disciplinary action.

Pressure Beneath the Precision

Despite its reputation for rigour and control, the Gaokao system is not without criticism. The immense pressure associated with the exam has long been a subject of debate. Students often endure years of intense preparation, and concerns have been raised about stress-related mental health challenges.

There have also been isolated controversies. In 2022, images of alleged exam papers circulated on social media, prompting public suspicion. Authorities later described the incident as a cheating attempt involving manipulated timestamps rather than a confirmed leak. Apart from that episode, no major paper leak scandals have been publicly substantiated in recent years.

Nevertheless, the Gaokao’s fortress-like security framework has made systemic breaches exceedingly rare.

A Crossroads for Examination Reform

As India grapples with recurring allegations surrounding high-stakes entrance exams, comparisons with China’s model have intensified. While differences in governance, scale, and administrative structure must be acknowledged, the broader lesson appears clear: safeguarding credibility requires a blend of technological vigilance, strict enforcement, and institutional accountability.

For millions of students in both nations, these examinations represent far more than academic milestones—they embody years of sacrifice, financial investment, and hope for a better future. Ensuring their integrity is not merely an administrative task; it is a moral imperative.

With aspirations hanging in the balance, the demand for a secure, transparent, and resilient examination system has never been more urgent.

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