Stress of postgraduate exam changes outlooks

More students willing to try less famous colleges as fierce competition takes toll

A record 4.74 million students signed up for the 2023 national postgraduate entrance exam held from Saturday to Monday, 170,000 more than last year, the Ministry of Education said on Saturday.

The annual increase of 3.7 percent was considerably lower than the 21 percent recorded previously.

According to a report by the online education portal EOL, while well-known universities have seen slight increases or even drops in applicants this year, less famous ones have witnessed big jumps in test-takers, showing that more students are willing to settle for less famous universities to avoid fierce exam competition.