After four years of decline, China sees postgraduate exam applications rise for 2027

China has recorded a rise in registrations for its 2027 national postgraduate entrance examination, with 3.47 million candidates signing up, compared with 3.43 million in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Education.

The increase marks the first year-on-year growth in postgraduate entrance exam registrations in four years. The examinations are scheduled to take place on Dec 19 and 20, 2026.

The Ministry of Education announced the registration figures during a video conference focused on examination safety. The meeting involved member organizations of the inter-ministerial joint conference responsible for the country's national unified examination system.

During the meeting, local authorities and relevant departments were asked to assess potential threats to examination security accurately and take comprehensive measures to ensure a "safe exam.”

Officials were directed to pay particular attention to the quality and principles guiding question preparation. This includes maintaining the value orientation and scientific quality of the questions set for the national postgraduate entrance examination.

The ministry also emphasized comprehensive risk assessments and end-to-end closed-loop management of examination papers. The measures are intended to strengthen security at every stage of the examination process.

Authorities were further instructed to improve security arrangements at examination centers, strengthen candidate entry checks and maintain regular patrols throughout the examination period.

The ministry also called for better coordination among departments through joint special campaigns aimed at preventing and cracking down on examination malpractice and cheating.

In addition to security measures, the Ministry of Education stressed the need to improve support for candidates. It called for wider communication of examination-related policies, reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific requirements and better overall service quality.

The measures are intended to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of the 2027 national postgraduate entrance examination across China.