Explained
What is the gaokao?
The gaokao (高考) is mainland China's national college entrance examination — a single, intensely competitive exam that is the sole route for Chinese nationals into top domestic universities like Tsinghua and Peking. It is famously high-pressure, and a student's score largely determines which university they can attend.
The IB, A-Levels, and AP have zero relevance for domestic Chinese admission — only the gaokao counts for Tsinghua/Peking. This is why Chinese families increasingly use international curricula as an 'exit pathway': avoiding the gaokao entirely and applying abroad.
A family choosing an international school in China is, in effect, choosing the overseas route — international-curriculum students don't sit the gaokao and aren't competing for domestic university places through it.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han. BrightKey is independent and takes no payment from schools or universities.
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