9.12 mln applicants to sit national exam

Some 9.12 million applicants are expected to sit this year's college entrance exam, down from 9.15 million in 2012, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday.

Xu Mei said examination places across the country's 31 provincial regions have been equipped with video monitoring facilities in order to prevent cheating and test fraud.

Officials from the MOE, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have conducted nationwide checks on the security and organization work ahead of the exam, which will take place on Friday and Saturday.

Public security departments at all levels have uprooted a number of gangs suspected of attempting to produce or sell equipment designed for test fraud during the examination, according to Xu.

She said any individual or group found to have become embroiled in organizing cheating or peddling equipment for cheating will receive harsh punishment, while applicants have been alerted to be honest and obey examination disciplines.

Applicants found to have been involved in cheating or test fraud during the exam will be stripped of admission qualification, according to the spokeswoman.