Ministry vows to fight cheating in gaokao exams

The Ministry of Education has vowed to fight any cheating in the national entrance exams for universities and colleges that will begin on Friday.

Students will take the exams in standard examination rooms that have been equipped with electronic cameras and other video monitoring equipment this year, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry urged all the students that will take part in the exams to be honest during the tests.

The national college entrance exam, known as gaokao in China, is the most important test for senior high school graduates.

The ministry is also joining hands with police and other departments to launch special campaigns to fight illegal sales of exams, cheating equipment and devices around examination rooms nationwide, the statement added.

The statement was published after police recently dismantled a number of gangs that sold cheating equipment to students that will take the exams.

Last month, police in Jilin province busted a gang that sold cheating equipment and devices to 37 students and to their parents. Police detained 25 suspects and confiscated 403 sets of wireless equipment valued at more than 300,000 yuan ($48,390).

In Hubei province, police also cracked down on four gangs that had sold equipment to 16 students to allow them to cheat in the exams. Police detained 10 suspects and confiscated 230 sets of equipment and 35,000 yuan.