Teachers, students and parents gather outside a high school to see off gaokao candidates in Sihong, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
Teachers, students and parents gather outside a high school to see off gaokao candidates in Sihong, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Teachers, students and parents gather outside a high school to see off gaokao candidates in Sihong, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Parents wait outside an examination site and offer encouragement to students on the first day of the gaokao, amid rainy weather in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
Parents wait outside an examination site and offer encouragement to students on the first day of the gaokao, amid rainy weather in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Parents wait outside an examination site and offer encouragement to students on the first day of the gaokao, amid rainy weather in Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Students line up to enter an examination site for the gaokao in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2026. /VCG
Students line up to enter an examination site for the gaokao in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Students line up to enter an examination site for the gaokao in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 7, 2026. /VCG

A robot cheers on students at a gaokao examination site in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
A robot cheers on students at a gaokao examination site in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

A robot cheers on students at a gaokao examination site in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

A police officer wearing the badge number
A police officer wearing the badge number "985" high-fives a student outside a gaokao examination site in Rugao, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. The number "985" is associated with China's prestigious "Project 985" universities and is widely seen as a symbol of academic success and admission to top-tier institutions. /VCG

A police officer wearing the badge number "985" high-fives a student outside a gaokao examination site in Rugao, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 7, 2026. The number "985" is associated with China's prestigious "Project 985" universities and is widely seen as a symbol of academic success and admission to top-tier institutions. /VCG

Students arrive in high spirits for the gaokao in Enshi, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
Students arrive in high spirits for the gaokao in Enshi, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Students arrive in high spirits for the gaokao in Enshi, central China's Hubei Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

A staff member assists disabled students entering a gaokao examination site in Tongling, east China's Anhui Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
A staff member assists disabled students entering a gaokao examination site in Tongling, east China's Anhui Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

A staff member assists disabled students entering a gaokao examination site in Tongling, east China's Anhui Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Teachers and parents cheer on students outside a gaokao examination site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG
Teachers and parents cheer on students outside a gaokao examination site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

Teachers and parents cheer on students outside a gaokao examination site in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 7, 2026. /VCG

China's annual national college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, began on Sunday, with 12.9 million students registered to take the exam this year, according to data released by China's Ministry of Education.

The 2026 gaokao is being held from June 7 to 8, with some regions extending exams through June 10 due to different subject arrangements.

Held annually in June, the exam serves as the main pathway to higher education for millions of high school graduates.

Ahead of the exam, the Ministry of Education called on local authorities to strengthen support services for candidates, including public security, transportation, food safety, heat prevention measures, noise control and psychological counseling.