File photo of American inventor Thomas Edison Photo: VCG

The education authorities in Southwest China's Yunnan Province have ordered an immediate investigation after factual errors were found in a question involving American inventor Thomas Edison in the province's 2026 high school entrance examination, or zhongkao, with an assessment also launched into the potential impact on candidates, reported the Xinhua News Agency on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, the Yunnan provincial education authorities issued a statement via its official WeChat account confirming the errors in its history paper.

According to the statement, the incorrect information concerned Edison's date and place of birth. The exam originally stated that Edison was "born in New York in 1882," whereas he was born in Ohio in 1847. It also described Edison as having "more than 1,000 patented technologies in inventions such as the electric light, telephone and film," which the authority said was imprecise and should be revised to Edison having obtained over 1,000 invention patents in fields including electric lighting, telephone technology and motion pictures.

According to official records, Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He held 1,093 patented inventions in his life. His key inventions include the light bulb and electric utility systems, recorded sound, motion pictures, R&D labs, and the alkaline family of storage batteries. 

Following the discovery of the mistakes, the provincial admissions authorities immediately organized a panel of history experts, frontline teachers and officials from grassroots examination bodies to review the test materials, retrace the drafting and review process, and assess the impact on scoring standards and candidate performance, said the statement.

The review concluded that Exhibit 2 included basic biographical elements such as name, nationality, early life and major contributions, while Question 2 required students to analyze the impact of Edison's inventions on social production and daily life. The scoring criteria did not rely on information about Edison's birth date or birthplace, and the authority said the errors would not affect grading outcomes.

The provincial education authority expressed deep regret over the mistakes, apologizing to students, parents and the public.

The provincial authorities have set up an investigation team to look into institutional and individual liability. Several officials found responsible for the error have been suspended from duty, and further accountability proceedings are underway for the leader and members of the question-setting team.

According to the provincial authorities, the 2026 high school entrance examination, or zhongkao, in Yunnan was held from June 16 to 20.

Global Times