As Chinese students head back to school for the fall semester, changes in the College Entrance Exam are in the works for this year's high school students. On Thursday, the State Council released detailed plans on revamping the exam, known in China as the Gaokao. Education authorities hope that a new assessment mechanism will lessen the academic pressure on students and make high school education less dependent on grades.

The biggest changes in China's College Entrance Examination since it was restored in 1977 after the Cultural Revolution have arrived. According to the Ministry of Education, high school students will no longer have to choose between liberal arts and science. And while they will still be tested for Chinese, Maths and English during the Gaokao, they will get two chances for the English section, and the better grade will be accepted.

For other subjects they will have their exams prior to the Gaokao, and students will be allowed to choose grades of three out of the six subjects to be counted in their total Gaokao score.

"Our aim is to come up with a more flexible evaluation mechanism based on the students' Gaokao score, along with high school test grades and all-around performances. We don't want their fate to be decided just on grades or one single exam. We want to give them more chances and less pressure." said Du Yubo, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education.

Considering the significance and complexity of this round of reform, a trial-and-error period will first be held in selected regions.

"By the end of this year, specific trial plans will be made by the city of Shanghai and the Zhejiang Province. The changes will start this fall with high school freshmen in these regions. The current Gaokao system will remain for other students." said Du Yubo, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education.

While welcoming the reform as a step forward, education experts say they create new problems...such as a lack of unified test standards for high school subjects. They also point out that students could be pushed into even more pressure as the grades of more subjects are now admissible as part of the Gaokao score.

Hopes are mixed with uncertainties as some students embark on a very different journey this fall semester.

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