India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao are generally compared, as they hold immense significance in both nations. Students who score high in these exams can attend the most prestigious universities in their respective countries, significantly impacting their professional lives in the future. The number of students that appear for the Gaokao examination is nearly 10 times higher than India’s JEE, and the primary reason for this is the unlimited attempts and wide variety of courses included.

In this blog, we’ll make a comparison between India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao to understand which exam is tougher by highlighting their exam structure, format, subjects involved, difficulty level, competition, and others.

India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao: Exam Format & Subjects

Both JEE and Gaoko are highly competitive entrance exams for higher education, but there are certain differences in their exam format and subjects covered. India’s Jee Main majorly features questions based on Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, while China’s Gaokao features questions based on the Chinese language, elite science subjects (PCB), mathematics, humanities subjects like history, geography, politics, and foreign language, which is usually English.

JEE is multiple-choice questions and numerical answer questions that are conducted in two sessions. On the other hand, the Gaokao is a single, lengthy exam, including multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions, and the exam is conducted over multiple days. JEE’s exam format focuses more on conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills, while Gaokao’s exam format demands excellent memorization.

India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao: Role in University Admissions

Concerning university admissions, both JEE Main and Gaokao are crucial entrance exams. Gaokao is more impactful in this respect as it is the only nationwide examination that determines university admissions in all academic disciplines. Students’ scores in this exam decide in which university and what field they can study. However, JEE Main is primarily concerned with admission to the top engineering colleges and only affects students who wish to attend NITs and IITs.

India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao: Difficulty Level

Gaokao is considered more difficult compared to JEE Main and other competitive exams across the world due to its extensive syllabus, emphasis on excellent memorization, and low acceptance rates. As the Gaokao covers a broader syllabus and the JEE Main focuses solely on science subjects, syllabus-wise, the former is more difficult.

Additionally, the higher maximum score for Gaokao is typically 750, which is 300 for JEE Main. Chinese students have to dedicate several years of their lives to clear this nationwide examination, while Indian students generally prepare for JEE Main during high school. Although the JEE Mains syllabus is less compared to Gaokao; however, its lengthy numerical calculations require consistent study and practice.

India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao: Competition & Selection Rate

As China has a much larger population than India and Gaokao is the single nationwide university entrance exam, the competition for JEE Main is lesser. Millions of students every year appear for these two exams; however, only a few can secure spots in the top universities in their respective countries.

Both the exams have low selection rates, but in the case of the Gaokao, it is even lower. Both these competitive exams ensure a fair selection process based on merit. Over 13 million students every year take the Gaokao, and only 0.1% of students succeed in securing spots in elite universities like Peking University.

In the social impact comparison between India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao, the latter is more significant due to being the sole entrance exam for admissions in the nationwide universities. JEE Main primarily impacts the social life of those students who wish to make their career in the engineering field. Chinese students feel extreme pressure and anxiety to pass this examination due to its dominant position in the nation’s education system.

Additionally, the Gaokao exam days are considered national events and receive significant attention from the media and public. For Gaokao, there is no limitation on the number of attempts, while for JEE Main, a candidate can’t appear in this examination more than 6 times in 3 consecutive years. Chinese students start preparing for this difficult competitive exam in early high school, while Indian students usually start preparing for JEE Main 2-5 years before passing 12th.

Conclusion

After understanding the various factors like exam structure, level of difficulty, social impact, selection rate, competition, and others of India’s JEE Main vs China’s Gaokao, it can be concluded that the latter is tougher. Gaokao is the sole determinant of university admission, while JEE only concerns admission to IITs.

Additionally, the intense preparation period of this Chinese nationwide competitive exam adds to its difficulty level. The Indian exam for engineering college entrance is shorter in duration, 6 hours long, while the Chinese exam is more lengthy, 9 hours long. Concerning technical complexity, JEE Main is more difficult, while based on the overall student’s career and social impact, Gaokao is tougher.

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