Skip to main content

The National College Entrance Examination in China (Gaokao): A Discreet Driver for Global Social Change

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Change

Abstract

As a requirement for admission to higher education, the Gaokao (高考) or National College Entrance Examination is one of the main drivers of social change in China. This document explores how, with its rules and criteria for merit, it has influenced the profile of one of the largest and most influential populations on the planet and how, with the reform that the country has been promoting since 2013, this profile is being transformed. The experience with the Gaokao contributes many interesting elements to the global discussion on the possibilities and challenges of education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emilia Szekely .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Szekely, E. (2023). The National College Entrance Examination in China (Gaokao): A Discreet Driver for Global Social Change. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Change. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87624-1_244-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87624-1_244-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87624-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-87624-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics