BEIJING, July 30  -- Punishments ranging from warnings to sackings were handed to education officials, teachers and even parents involved in a huge case of phantom exam taking, according to the Ministry of Education.

Suspects surnamed Zhang and Wang have been arrested for allegedly hiring college students from Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, to sit the national college entrance exam for others, said a ministry statement released Wednesday.

Usually held in early July, Gaokao, the sole entrance criteria for most colleges, is seen by many as a fair path upward in society. Despite tightened supervision, cheating is routinely spotted every year.

Nine educational officials and school principals in Henan "directly responsible for leadership failures" were removed from their posts. Another five received warnings.

Thirteen school staff in Henan were demoted or dismissed from public posts for facilitating the deal and five of them are awaiting a decision on prosecution.

Ten responsible parents formerly holding public posts were also demoted or dismissed.

The students concerned are barred from any form of national exam for three years, and their 2014 gaokao score was rendered zero. The phantom exam takers also received a 3-year exam ban and were expelled from their respective universities.

Meanwhile, 45 invigilators who failed to stop the cheating were given warnings.