WNAM MONITORING: Chinese authorities have tightened security measures for the world’s largest college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, amid concerns over the potential misuse of smart glasses and other high-tech cheating devices.
Chinese police on Friday also warned against online scams and fake exam papers.
A total of 12.9 million students have registered for this year’s gaokao, scheduled for Sunday, down 450,000 from 2025, when around 13.35 million students signed up for the exam, according to China’s Ministry of Education.
Several provinces, including Guangdong and Fujian, as well as the municipality of Shanghai and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, have warned that eyeglasses brought into examination rooms will be subject to additional checks.
The Guangdong Provincial Education Examinations Authority said in a notice released Tuesday that candidates wearing or carrying glasses must remove them during security screening and place them on a desk for inspection by exam supervisors under video surveillance, state-run China Daily reported.
“Smart glasses equipped with cameras, wireless connectivity and artificial intelligence capabilities have become increasingly available to consumers worldwide, raising concerns about their potential misuse during examinations,” the report said.
Chinese authorities have steadily strengthened anti-cheating measures in recent years.
Last year, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, and Liaoning provinces deployed artificial intelligence systems to monitor students in exam rooms in real time and prevent cheating.
The Education Ministry also warned against violating examination rules, citing a case from the 2022 gaokao in which a “candidate deliberately bypassed security screening and illegally brought a mobile phone into the examination room.”
“The student photographed the exam paper and shared the images in a Tencent QQ chat group in an attempt to obtain answers, according to the ministry. Police later identified the candidate, who was punished under relevant regulations,” the report said.
“Do not destroy your future for a moment of carelessness,” the ministry said in its advisory to students preparing for this year’s exam.
