This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

The gaokao, or national college entrance exams, are ferociously competitive here in China. Students are under great pressure to study and get a good score because spaces are limited in the top universities and a top university education is a must if you want to get ahead. Questions vary depending on the region but they are not easy. Here's an essay question from this year's exam: "An Englishman dreams of living in Xinjiang in another era. Write a story based on this." Oh. Okay. The exam is timed and students expect to be able to take the full amount allotted. Which is why there was such a huge uproar when the official bell ringer in Hunan province miscalculated and rang the bell 4 minutes and 58 seconds too soon. The unfortunate bell ringer was sentenced to a year in prison for his carelessness though he was given a year's reprieve. This sounds like a topic for one of next year's essay questions.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.