China launched its spring college entrance exam as part of the Ministry of Education's attempt to increase college enrollment on January 19.

This three-day event marks the start of a new era in the country's national college entrance testing, which traditionally has been held only once annually in July.

"I failed last year's college entrance test, but now I have a chance to try again only a few months later," said Shi Dawei, a Beijing middle school student who just completed the first day of the testing.

China has always held the national examination from July 7-9, and students who failed it had to wait until the following July to try again.

Starting this year, the country will hold a spring college enrollment exam. But in this first year, only students in municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai and Anhui Province will be permitted to take part.

Some 1,700 students from Beijing and more than 6,100 from Anhui Province in east China will be enrolled, an official with the Ministry of Education said.

Shanghai will hold the exam later this month.