The University of Cambridge formally acknowledged the “gaokao,” China’s annual college entrance examination, as “suitable preparation” for its undergraduate courses, alongside the UK’s standardized A-Level tests, on its Weibo page Monday.

The prestigious British university says that it has actually accepted the gaokao for years – though a written notice was only recently included in the school’s 2019 entry requirements, which say that applicants submitting gaokao scores would preferably be among the top 0.1% of their province’s candidates that year.

Apart from the gaokao, candidates can also submit scores from other tests and send in supplemental materials, like awards, when applying to Cambridge. Within China, it is often the exam alone that will determine which universities a student can go to.

Chen Zhiwen, editor in chief at China’s education information portal Education Online, believes Cambridge's acceptance of the gaokao lends credibility to the test’s ability to demonstrate a candidate’s aptitude. This also does not make it any easier for Chinese students to get into Cambridge, Chen adds – as the scores are merely one reference point among many for applicants.

The gaokao has faced widespread criticism within China, which often blames the gaokao system for lacking flexibility, and only promoting one specific type of student.

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