Universities In The UK Are Starting To Accept The Gaokao
China’s National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), or gao kao, is the admission test that all final-year school students in the country must take if they wish to win a place in a Chinese university.
Many international universities now accept the gao kao as part of a student’s application form. If you have taken the gao kao and are considering studying abroad, then here is a list of all the universities in the UK that accept the gao kao.
UK universities accepting gao kao/NCEE results
University of Cambridge (Preparation courses)
Acceptance rates of the gao kao will vary year on year, but generally successful candidates to the University of Cambridge will have scores in the top 0.1 per cent in their province.
Students with the gao kao will be accepted directly on to undergraduate programmes excluding BMBS medicine, BSc medical imaging and MSci nursing. Applicants will have to have achieved a minimum 75 per cent overall average.
Students will have to have completed the gao kao with minimum 80 per cent overall average. There may be some variation in scores across the different provinces.
The following table is an extremely helpful guide to the expectations of elite Russel Group Universities in the UK.
The university will consider students who have gained good scores in the gao kao for direct entry into first year.
Royal Holloway, University of London
Applicants will need to have achieved a grade of 75 per cent overall, with 70 per cent in any A-level subject required by the course.
Entry requirements for the University of Southampton vary based on the course you are applying to.
Requirements will vary based on courses, but generally a grade of 80 per cent or higher is required for the majority of courses.
Students who have achieved 75 per cent in the gao kao will be considered for entry to undergraduate programmes.
What is the gao kao and how can you prepare for it?
Candidates who are expected to complete the gao kao with a minimum 75 per cent overall average will be considered for most courses. Candidates for applied medical sciences require a minimum 78 per cent overall average, and candidates for computer science require 75 per cent overall, with 75 per cent in maths and two other science subjects.
Entry requirements vary across courses, but a minimum of 60 per cent is generally required.
Students must achieve a minimum 80 per cent overall average – including 80 per cent in mathematics if required as an A-level subject.
Students with a minimum score of 75 per cent overall average in the gao kaoand 75 per cent in all subjects will be considered. There are further subject-specific requirements, too.
Most undergraduate bachelor’s degree courses will consider 75 per cent overall average from the gao kao.
Students who have achieved 75 per cent in the gao kao may be given an offer to study on a bachelor’s degree programme.
Accepted scores for the gao kao will vary based on the province the student took the test in.
Gao kao scores of 80 per cent will be accepted on a selection of courses at Queen Mary London, including physics, maths and engineering.
Students should achieve an overall score of 75 per cent.
Gao kao pass with an overall average 65 per cent or higher is needed.
Applicants with a Grade 12 Senior High School Certificate with an average of 75 per cent or above plus a gao kao score of 110/150 in maths can be considered for some bachelor’s degrees in engineering and science.
An average score of 60 per cent will be considered for bachelor’s degree courses.
Acceptance rates vary, but a minimum of 70 per cent is required for some courses, while others may demand a result of at least 75 per cent overall.
No pass rate is given, but students must successfully pass the gao kao in order to be admitted to a bachelor’s degree programme.
Gao kao percentage rates will depend on the equivalent A-level or Ucas point requirements for each course. For example, if the entry requirements are AAA, the corresponding gao kao percentage will be 90 per cent to 100 per cent.
A minimum grade of 67 per cent is required for undergraduate courses.
Students with high scores in the gao kao will be considered for undergraduate degrees on a case-by-case basis, dependent on course-specific grades.
A pass of 70 per cent overall is required for bachelor’s degree study.
A minimum score of 75 per cent overall and 75 per cent in any required subjects is needed for undergraduate courses. Some courses with higher entry requirements may demand a minimum score of 80 per cent overall.
An 80 per cent overall pass rate is required, and at least 80 per cent in the required subjects.
Students will need to achieve 75 per cent to 80 per cent overall depending on the subject they are applying for.
What can you do to maximise your chances?
Whilst the Gaokao is accepted by many universities it is still unfamiliar to many admissions teams and so there are some steps that any potential applicant should take in order to maximise your chances of a successful application.
Ensure your Personal Statement is of sufficient quality. Admissions officers are used to this document and know what a good student looks like based on this single sheet of paper.
Meet your IELTs requirement early. Again, admissions teams are familiar with this metric - use that familiarity to your advantage.
Sit benchmarking exams like the GMAT or GRE. These provide a level playing field across different countries and make for a fair comparison between candidates.