Some 357 Chinese students who took the US Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) in September were informed via e-mail Tuesday that their scores had been nullified. Although there is no official statement on the SSAT website so far, and the case is still under investigation, the outlook is not promising.

According to the Beijing Times, the SSAT examination management committee has concerns over the large number of Chinese high-scoring candidates. Yet after the investigation is over, the possibility of future recovery of part of candidates' exam results will not be ruled out.

This is not the first time that Chinese exam-takers' scores in Western standard tests have been called into question. Last month, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) announced that it has withheld the scores of 350 Chinese students permanently since July because the scores do not reflect the real English level of the candidates.

The Chinese approach of an exam-oriented educational system is often a target of criticism. The desire for high scores is deeply rooted in the minds of students and parents. Test scores also serve as an effective way of selecting the best students from this populous country with various economic situations. Some developed regions are gradually adding other factors apart from exam achievements into their assessment system to test the abilities of students.

Certain private educational institutions tend to encourage their students to memorize questions that have been set in exams. After absorbing these for a long time, they can easily grasp the key points of the tests. Especially for the SSAT, which does not have a large question database, it is not hard for Chinese teachers and students to make educated guesses about what will be asked in the exam.

Over the years, the effectiveness of China's college entrance examinations, or gaokao, has been questioned, which has triggered many fierce debates. Coinciding with this, a growing number of Chinese students have chosen to study overseas. And when they take standard tests in the West, various scandals involving unusually high scores of Chinese students often emerge. This can be a result of a clash between the different educational philosophies of China and the West.

The voiding of the achievements of these 357 students is unfortunate. It might have a knock-on effect on their future plans for overseas studies. But if they did fail to comply with SSAT regulations, they should without doubt suffer the consequences.

It might not be possible to change the Chinese mania for exam scores over the short term. We do want to keep pace with international educational trends. Yet more support mechanisms and educational opportunities are needed to help Chinese people fundamentally change their mentality.