China's national postgraduate entrance examinations for 2018 started on Saturday and will last three days. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Education, an estimated 2.38 million individuals participated in the test, up 370,000 from 2016, Shanghai Observer reported Saturday.
Around 60,000 people in Shanghai attended the examinations, 10,000 more than in 2016. According to an official report, the enrollment scale of postgraduate students in China typically only expands at an annual rate of 6 percent. But the number of enrollment scale in 2016 was 63 percent more than one decade ago. Take Shanghai as an example, where the rate of exam participants in the city is far higher than the enrollment rate.
So what has caused the rising number of participants? Industry experts believe one reason is that many undergraduates are seeking to improve their academic performance. Undergraduates are also under heavier pressure to find an ideal job, so many tend to pursue higher degrees to give themselves more competitive advantages in the job market.
