China to reform college entrance exam system

China is soon to unveil a reform plan on the college entrance examination, considering two separate test modes for technical and academic students, an educational official revealed Saturday.

The first mode, targeting the technically inclined students such as those who want to be engineers, senior mechanic and high-quality laborers, will assess the candidates' technical skills and textbook knowledge as a combination, deputy education minister Lu Xin said at a forum.

The second mode, the current practice throughout the country, test only textbook knowledge. The mode applies to the academically inclined students, according to Lu.

She didn't reveal exactly when the plan will be enacted.

Potential college-goers can only choose their majors after they passed a uniformed national entrance exam, or gaokao, under the current system, which may thwart the higher education chance of those who are specially talented in certain technique but not good at taking exams.

"At an age of 16, the students can decide their future development modes when they are even in the high schools," Lu explained the reform.

About 17 million high school and college graduates are added into China's labor market every year. But the nation is suffering from the fact that it is hard for college graduates to find jobs and from a severe short supply of technical talents in labor force buildup.

Under a pilot program, 14 million students entered higher education institutes through the first technique-focused mode in 2013, said Lu.