This year’s university admissions season presents a paradox: although the high school graduation exam was considered difficult, the benchmark scores for many ‘hot’ majors at top-tier schools have skyrocketed, even breaking records.
Are we witnessing a contradiction within the education system itself, or is this a sign of unprecedented fierce competition?
Why are benchmark scores so high?
At first glance, “difficult exam, high scores” is indeed a paradox. Normally, a more difficult exam should lead to lower average scores, pulling benchmark scores down. Were the initial assessments of the exam’s difficulty wrong, or have students’ abilities improved dramatically?
In reality, this is only a “superficial paradox.” The high benchmark scores do not reflect the overall average, but mainly stem from intense competition among top-performing students. Outstanding students can still achieve very high scores, enough to fill the limited quotas of hot majors, thereby pushing benchmark scores to record levels.
The university entrance exam is like a long race with many obstacles, but the best athletes still finish with impressive results.
Benchmark scores essentially determine who finishes in the 1,000th or 2,000th position. Even if many other students have “fallen behind,” the person at that mark must still achieve a very high score to be selected.
Therefore, the increase in benchmark scores is an inevitable consequence of the fierce screening mechanism for hot majors at top-tier schools, where job prospects are high or enrollment quotas are limited, rather than being solely due to an easy or difficult exam.
The current admissions landscape is further complicated by the coexistence of multiple methods: considering academic transcripts, competency assessment exams, or combining international language certificates. Each method has its own calculation formula.
For example, an IELTS certificate is only converted into a foreign language subject score in the graduation exam (on a 10-point scale) by the Ministry of Education and Training. During university admissions, this score is added to two other subjects for a maximum total of 30 points.
One school might convert an IELTS 6.5 into a 10 for the foreign language subject, resulting in a total of 25 points for the combination, while another school, with a different calculation method or priority points, might result in 27-28 points. This discrepancy means a student with a high score might fail, while another, by choosing a suitable method and receiving priority points, gets admitted.
This raises questions about fairness. In theory, all schools publicly announce their admission plans and scoring formulas. But in practice, this diversity and complexity turn the process into a “maze” where only those who understand the rules have an advantage. Students in urban areas, with better access to information, can easily optimize their choices.
Conversely, students in rural areas, lacking information, easily fall into a disadvantageous position. The consequence is that admissions are no longer simply about “who is better gets in,” but sometimes more about “luck over cleverness.”
Concerns
From a societal perspective, this phenomenon raises concerns: are we creating an education system that favors training “exam-takers” rather than well-rounded individuals?
The pressure to chase scores, aspirations, and priorities causes confusion, fatigue, and even a loss of trust among students and parents. If not adjusted, this situation can easily lead to a distortion of educational goals: instead of nurturing passion and creativity, learners are forced to strategize for exams.
What is the solution? First, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to establish a unified national conversion framework to prevent each school from having its own method. Schools must be transparent and simplify their admission formulas so candidates can easily understand them.
Simultaneously, the counseling system needs to be expanded, especially for students in disadvantaged areas.
More importantly, society and families should change their perception: not only hot majors lead to success; students should be encouraged to pursue their own abilities and interests.
Towards fairness in admissions
The “difficult exam, high scores” paradox reflects the increasingly concentrated competition among top students for hot majors at top-tier schools, along with the confusion in admission methods. But looking broadly, failing to get into
