The national college entrance exam, known as the gaokao has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. The Ministry will solicit public opinions before its release.

For too long, the gaokao has been the only exam that determines a student's destiny.

"Currently, the education system in China is all about scores... No matter the evaluation system or the way we select talents. That's the key problem of the education system, as far as many people are concerned," Vice Minister of Education Liu Limin said.

The Ministry of Education wants to change that through reforms. It will reduce the number of exam subjects. English will be removed from the gaokao. Instead, students can take English exams more than once a year. Only the best result will be counted. China will also set up a multi-evaluation system. Admissions will not be based solely on test performance.

"We hope to release an integrated plan of examination and enrollment reform in 2014. Through pilot programs in some cities, we hope to publicize it to the whole country in 2017. Finally in 2020, we can set up a well-rounded education system." Liu said.

Beijing is one of the pilot cities to see less English, more Chinese in the gaokao. Starting from 2016, Beijing will reduce the point value of English from 150 to 100. More points will be given to Chinese.

Students will be able to take the English exam twice a year. The best score in three years will be counted to the gaokao total score.

(CNTV.cn December 9, 2013)