The 2026 National College Entrance Examination Begins, with 12.9 Million Candidates Registered

The 2026 National College Entrance Examination for regular higher education institutions began on June 7. This year, a total of 12.9 million candidates nationwide registered to take the exam, 450,000 fewer than last year. This year's Gaokao is scheduled to be held from June 7 to 8. In some regions, due to differences in subject arrangements, exams for some subjects will also be held on the 9th and 10th. At present, 29 provinces across the country have completed the implementation of the new Gaokao system. Among them, 6 provinces have adopted the "3+3" subject selection model, while the remaining 23 provinces have adopted the "3+1+2" model. To ensure the smooth conduct of the exam, the Ministry of Education has worked with relevant departments to instruct local governments to strengthen services in public security, transportation, accommodation and meals, health, heatstroke prevention, noise control, and psychological counseling, and to provide reasonable accommodations for special hardship groups such as candidates with disabilities. At the same time, localities are also strengthening security management of examination venues and anticheating measures. Public security authorities and education departments said they will strictly investigate illegal and criminal acts related to the exam and safeguard fairness and impartiality in the examination.