Is the Gaokao available in English?

The Foreign Language section of the Gaokao is administered in English (or other selected languages — English is by far the most common). The Chinese Language and Mathematics sections are only in Chinese. If you're studying the English section specifically, the practice questions in our PDF are fully accessible without Chinese language knowledge.

How hard is the Gaokao English section?

The English section targets roughly B2–C1 level on the CEFR scale. Reading passages use academic vocabulary and argumentation structures similar to university-level texts. The cloze test requires strong contextual vocabulary and collocation knowledge, not just word recognition. For students with solid academic English, the section is challenging but passable with preparation. Perfect or near-perfect scores are rare.

Can international students take the Gaokao?

Foreign nationals aren't eligible to take the standard Gaokao. However, Chinese universities enroll international students through separate application processes. Some universities use Gaokao-style English tests or their own entrance exams for international applicants. If you're applying to a Chinese university as an international student, check the specific entry requirements for your program.

What universities accept Gaokao scores?

All Chinese universities use Gaokao scores as the primary admission criterion for domestic students. Top-tier institutions include Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Zhejiang University. A small number of overseas universities — mainly in Southeast Asia — also recognize Gaokao scores for international applicants. The required score varies widely by institution and subject track.

How many questions are on the Gaokao English section?

The English section typically has around 50–55 questions across reading comprehension, cloze test, and language use components, plus two writing tasks. Total points: 150. Total time: 120 minutes. The exact question count varies slightly by province and year, which is why using practice materials from multiple years is worthwhile.

Where can I find more Gaokao English practice?

This site's Gaokao practice tests include multiple sets of English section questions with answer explanations. Work through those after completing the PDF to reinforce your preparation. Repeating full timed sessions across multiple practice sets is the most effective preparation strategy for the English section specifically.

Gaokao Exam PDF 2026 October: Free Chinese College Entrance Exam Practice Questions

Prepare for the Gaokao certification. Practice questions with answer explanations covering all exam domains. 📗

Gaokao ExamOct 4, 20267 min read

What Is the Gaokao?

About 12 million students in China sit the Gaokao every June. Two days. That's it. Two days to determine where — or whether — you go to university.

The Gaokao, short for Zhōngguó Gāokǎo (全国高等学校招生统一考试), is China's National what is the gaokaoination. Every spot at a Chinese university flows through this single set of scores. There's no portfolio, no personal statement that saves you, no legacy admissions track. Your score is your application.

If you're preparing for the English section, researching Chinese higher education, or teaching students who will face this exam, this page gives you a free Gaokao exam PDF to download and study offline. Below you'll find everything you need to understand the structure, the scoring, and exactly what the English section tests.

Subjects Tested on the Gaokao

The Gaokao splits into two categories: mandatory subjects everyone takes, and electives that depend on which academic track the student chose in high school.

Mandatory (all students):

Chinese Language — the most heavily weighted section, testing reading, classical literature, composition, and argumentative writing. Mathematics — pure math, no calculator. Foreign Language — almost always English, though students can choose Japanese, French, Russian, German, or Spanish.

Elective subjects (choose 3 from):

Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, and Politics. The combination you choose is determined by your high school track — typically STEM or humanities. Some provinces run a "3+1+2" model where Physics or History is required as the anchor elective, plus two more from the remaining options.

That said, the structure varies slightly by province. Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong have modified versions. The national standard is what most students take.

📄Free Gaokao Exam Practice Test PDF

Why Scoring 750 Is Almost Impossible

The Gaokao's 750-point ceiling sounds achievable on paper. In practice, near-perfect scores are rare enough to make national news. The Chinese Language section alone — 150 points — includes essays graded by human readers using rubrics that reward sophisticated argumentation and classical allusion. The gap between 135 and 148 on that section can mean the difference between Tsinghua University and your fourth-choice school.

Mathematics is notorious for its final few problems. The exam is designed so that every student can answer roughly 80% of it. The last 20% is essentially a tiebreaker for elite-school admissions — problems that require not just calculus knowledge but creative problem-solving under extreme time pressure.

The Foreign Language section is the exception. English on the Gaokao is structured — reading comprehension, cloze tests (fill-in-the-blank passages), and a writing component. For non-Chinese readers and international researchers, this section is the most accessible part of the exam to study and understand.

The English Section — What It Actually Tests

The English section runs 150 points over 120 minutes. It's divided into several components.

Reading Comprehension (40 pts): Four to five passages across different text types — news articles, academic excerpts, narratives, advertisements. Questions test main idea, supporting detail, inference, and vocabulary in context. The passages aren't especially long, but the vocabulary can be demanding — B2 to low C1 on the CEFR scale.

Cloze Test (30 pts): A 200-250 word passage with 15 blanks. You choose from four options for each blank. This tests collocations, connectives, and contextual vocabulary — not just individual word meanings. Students who memorize word lists without understanding usage tend to struggle here.

Language Use / Grammar (15 pts): Short passages testing specific grammatical structures. Focuses on verb tenses, conditionals, relative clauses, and prepositions. More rule-based than the reading or cloze sections.

Writing (25 pts): Two tasks — typically a short note or email (first task, 10 pts) and a longer essay (second task, 15 pts). Prompts are functional: write a letter declining an invitation, write an essay arguing a position on environmental behavior, describe a cultural exchange experience.

The listening component (30 pts) was removed from the national exam in many provinces and replaced with additional reading and writing. Check which version applies to your situation — provincial variations exist.

Start Practice Test

✓Read the questions before the passage — know what you're looking for before you read
✓For cloze tests, read the full passage once without filling in any blanks — context across the whole text matters
✓Eliminate obviously wrong answers in reading questions first, then compare the final two
✓Watch for contrast signals in cloze tests: "however", "although", "despite" — these narrow the correct choice dramatically
✓Writing section: use a clear 3-part structure (intro, body, conclusion) — Chinese Gaokao markers reward organization
✓For the email/note task, open with a clear purpose statement and close with a specific action or request
✓Review collocations, not just vocabulary — "make a decision" not "do a decision", "take responsibility" not "bear responsibility"
✓Practice reading academic-style passages under timed conditions — speed matters as much as accuracy

Why International Students and Researchers Use Gaokao Materials

You don't have to be a Chinese high school student to find the Gaokao useful.

International students applying to Chinese universities often need to demonstrate academic Chinese or English proficiency. Some programs use Gaokao-style English questions as diagnostic placement tools. If you're applying to a Chinese university through an international track and want to benchmark your English against the national standard, working through Gaokao English practice materials is a direct way to do that.

ESL teachers in China use Gaokao English sample questions constantly — it's the benchmark their students are training toward. Understanding the exam format tells you exactly which grammar structures and vocabulary domains matter most in Chinese secondary English education.

Researchers studying comparative education, language policy, or East Asian higher education systems regularly need access to Gaokao materials in their original format. The PDF on this page gives you that without requiring access to Chinese-language sources.

And for students who attended Chinese high school and are now studying abroad — especially in graduate programs — revisiting Gaokao English materials can be a surprisingly effective way to rebuild academic English skills systematically. The exam was designed to assess real academic English competence, not test-taking tricks.

How the Gaokao Compares to Other High-Stakes Exams

The Gaokao gets compared to the SAT regularly. They aren't really comparable. The SAT is one input among dozens in US university admissions. The Gaokao is the only input. There's no equivalent pressure in the Western university system — even the most competitive SAT/ACT scenarios involve multiple application rounds, waitlists, and alternative paths.

A better comparison is the South Korean CSAT (Suneung) or the Japanese NCAT — similar high-stakes national exams where a single score determines university access. All three reflect educational systems that funnel enormous national ambition through a standardized test administered on a single date.

The 2026 Gaokao takes place June 7–10 nationally, though some provinces extend to June 8 or 9 depending on elective subject scheduling. Around 12.9 million students registered in 2025 — a record that will likely be matched or exceeded in 2026.

For English section practice specifically, use the Gaokao practice tests on this site alongside the downloadable PDF. The online tests let you check answers immediately with explanations. The PDF is better for timed offline sessions that simulate real test conditions. Use both.

Gaokao: Pros and Cons

✅Pros

+A single set of scores determines university admission nationally — no separate essays or interviews to prepare
+Decades of past papers and practice materials are freely available for every subject, including English
+The English section follows a consistent, well-documented format (reading, cloze, grammar, writing)
+Strong Gaokao English preparation builds real academic English skills, not just test tricks
+Score reports and admission cut-off lines are published transparently by each province

❌Cons

−The Gaokao is offered only once a year (June) — a bad day means waiting a full year to retake it
−Provincial variations in format and difficulty make direct score comparisons across regions unreliable
−Extremely high stakes: a single national exam date decides university access for ~13 million students
−Foreign nationals are not eligible to sit the standard Gaokao
−Competitive scores (especially top-tier) typically require years of preparation, not weeks

Official Resources

Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China — the national authority that sets Gaokao policy, enrollment rules, and the annual examination calendar.
National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) — the agency under the Ministry of Education responsible for administering China’s national examinations, including the Gaokao.
Ministry of Education Government Portal (Chinese) — publishes official Gaokao notices, provincial admission scores, and policy documents in the original language.