World-renowned British institution University of Cambridge admitted last month that during past years it has been considering Chinese students' application for admission based on their scores in the college entrance examination in China, a nationwide test known locally as gaokao. A post on the university's official Weibo account on March 25 read: "Gaokao is regarded as suitable preparation for Cambridge… Successful applicants will usually have scores in the top 0.1 percent of those taking gaokao in their province," while also encouraging students to undertake additional studies such as relevant science Olympiads, the SAT I/II, or the Advanced Placement Tests of the United States.

For years, gaokao has been censured for being too rigid and strangling students' creativity. Usually, students have to cram more than 10 hours a day during high school, preparing for an exam that will decide their fate. The overemphasis on getting a good score has been edging out opportunities and time to develop other skills and capabilities.

To correct the situation, gaokao began to be reformed in 2014, so that students would no longer dread it as the "Irongate," the name given to it by people due to the high failure rate.

Actually, this is not the first time that a prestigious Western university has recognized gaokao results. Universities in more than 20 countries and regions use gaokao results as their admission reference. The University of Birmingham, the University of Leicester and the University of New Hampshire, among others, already do.

Still, the recent recognition by Cambridge has created a buzz in Chinese society. Some are saying that given the status of the university in the global academic community, the recognition indicates that gaokao has credibility worldwide. However, some are pointing out that Cambridge uses gaokao results only as a reference, and not as the end-all and be-all criterion. So instead of rejoicing, authorities should use the new recognition to learn from Cambridge's educational and recruitment methods.

A win-win move

Hu Xinhong (China Youth Daily): Gaokao has long been a whipping boy for people. But today, it has been recognized by the prestigious University of Cambridge, which is a surprise. Actually, gaokao is not as bad as its critics make it out to be. It tests not just students' intelligence, but also whether they are diligent, perseverant and able to master a designated knowledge system within a certain period of time. As a scrupulously designed examination, gaokao is credible with a reasonable testing method.

Nowadays, more and more Chinese families are sending their children to foreign universities as self-funded students. The rising number of arriving Chinese students makes it impossible for these universities to ignore them, and so, gaokao results are gradually being recognized.

The fact that prestigious Western universities have begun to accept gaokao results is a good sign and marks a win-win policy. Now Chinese students no longer need to spend one year or half a year in preparatory schools before they can attend top-notch Western universities. This will also save money and other troubles. The students' families can now save 180,000 yuan ($26,780). As for foreign universities, if they agree to drop the need for preparatory schools, it will boost their attraction for foreign students.

So far, however, only a small number of Western universities accept gaokao results. So, students eager to go to foreign universities should not be over-excited. Western countries are not likely to change their fundamental policies for recruiting new students.

Tao Feng (www.bbtnews.com.cn): According to the University of Cambridge, "applicants will usually have scores in the top 0.1 percent of those taking gaokao in their province." In some provinces where there are numerous examinees, the competition is greater. Tsinghua University and Peking University have a high threshold for admission but Cambridge's threshold is even higher than that of China's top two universities.

China is pressing ahead with education reform. On the one hand, the rising education quality of Chinese universities has improved the comprehensive capabilities of Chinese students. They are not only good at sitting for exams and achieving high scores, but their personal quality is also improving. A growing number of Chinese students are now going abroad to attend universities with more confidence.

On the other hand, in many places across the country, college education resources are still scarce, and students find it extremely difficult to make it to prestigious domestic universities. So to go to a foreign university is a new option for rich families in these provinces. Good students who may not get into good Chinese universities due to the tough competition in their province will have a chance of getting into good foreign universities.

Choosing a foreign university or a domestic university does not necessarily reflect whether a student is academically or comprehensively capable or not. This is just an optional route to receive education. With reform and opening up in China advancing and its economy rising, prestigious foreign universities are getting increasingly within the reach of Chinese students.

Chinese students with high academic prowess and personal quality are winning more and more opportunities to study and broaden their minds abroad. At the same time, a growing number of foreign students are also choosing to study in Chinese universities. The two-way communication in education will inspire and push forward China's education reform.

One swallow doesn't make summer

Editorial (www.thepaper.cn): Gaokao began to be reformed in 2014, first in east China's Zhejiang Province and Shanghai. Today, more provinces have joined the reform. Some provinces now have a diversified assessment system, allowing students to take several examinations and use the best score. Some are lifting the division between arts and science programs, allowing students to choose the subjects they are good at.

In recent years, some top-notch universities in Western countries began to accept gaokao scores. Gaokao is gaining more recognition, also due to the huge number of Chinese students flocking to foreign universities.

However, when foreign universities begin to accept gaokao scores as a criterion to measure students' comprehensive quality, it does not mean they are adopting the same recruitment standard as Chinese universities. By no means should we venerate gaokao just because the University of Cambridge has recognized it because such a world-class university will never focus on exam scores alone.

Usually, exam results are used as the bottomline. So even if a student's gaokao scores is in the top 0.1 percent in his/her province, he/she will still face the risk of rejection if he/she doesn't meet other criteria.

The Cambridge recognition means gaokao has merit. However, reforming just the examination content, form and scoring method is not enough. The entire system needs to be reformed, including universities' recruiting methods. While the recognition strengthens confidence in China's education system and facilitates its integration with world-class education systems, it should be seized as an opportunity to learn from the advanced recruitment system of world-class universities.

She Ying (Economic Daily News): A growing number of foreign universities have begun to see gaokao results as an important reference for admitting Chinese students. Since the number of Chinese students seeking admission in foreign universities is considerable, to attract more students and increase their revenue, some universities have begun to tweak their policies to admit Chinese students.

Also, as gaokao comes under further reform, its assessment of students' real comprehensive capabilities is becoming more credible. The recognition of gaokao results has opened a new door for Chinese students.

Still, these scores are just a reference, not everything. The fact that the University of Cambridge's recognition of gaokao scores has caused a sensation reflects the overemphasis on the results in China. Even now, students are valued according to their exam results and they still have limited opportunities to show their comprehensive capabilities.

The gaokao reform must be pushed forward in terms of content, form and recruitment methods. Meanwhile, students intending to go to foreign universities should nurture the capabilities required by these universities.

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar