China’s 2025 national college entrance exam, or the gaokao, kicked off on June 7, with over 60,000 candidates expected to sit the exam in Shanghai. This year, the exam follows the “3+3” model, in which students take three mandatory subjects—Chinese, math, and English—alongside three elective subjects, according to Xinhua. On the first day of the gaokao, the gates of Shanghai Shixi High School in Jing’an district buzzed with anticipation as parents and teachers gathered to cheer on students. (Photos: Chen Xia/GT)