A total of 12.46 million Chinese applicants will take the entrance exam for postgraduate studies this weekend, sources with the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Tuesday.

That number is up slightly from the 12 million who took the test last year, the MOE said.

A total of 12.46 million Chinese applicants will take the entrance exam for postgraduate studies this weekend, sources with the Ministry of Education said Tuesday. [Xinhua]

Part of the reason for the slight increase was a decision to increase postgraduate enrollment levels to help alleviate the unemployment rate. The MOE announced the move last Dec..

The enrollment rate for postgraduate studies was 32.5 percent in 2008, up from 29 percent the previous year.

Chinese enthusiasm for postgraduate studies has been growing since 2001 as job hunting became increasingly difficult.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2009)