A pre-divorce exam for couples is being trialed in southwest China, reports the Chengdu Business Daily.

The special test was devised by Wang Shiyu, a local judge in Yibin, Sichuan Province.

A pre-exam for couples seeking divorce is being trialed in Yibin, Sichuan Province. [File Photo: sina.com.cn]

It's designed to evaluate the condition of the marriage, whether there are any chances of a reunion, or rehabilitation. It also aims to remind the couple of their good times together, said Wang Shiyu.

Wang is keen to point out that the exam is not mandatory, and will only be sat with the mutual consent of the couple who file for divorce.

The exam paper contains both subjective and objective questions, on topics such as the date of the couple's wedding anniversary, their current opinion of family and marriage, etc.

After the exam, the couple review and mark each other's papers.

Scores below 60 percent suggest the marriage is on the verge of collapse.

So far the only exam took place on September 14, 2017, during a hearing in which Wang Shiyu was the presiding judge.

The couple in the case scored 80 and 86, separately.

A pre-divorce exam paper answered by a wife who filed for a divorce in Yibin, Sichuan Province, September 14, 2017. She got 80 percent in the exam as scored by her husband. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

After the exam, the wife who filed for the divorce became "much calmer," and agreed to the court's judgment that their marriage should not be dissolved.

The special exam has sparked heated debate with some praising the move, saying it is full of humanity and every effort should to be made to save a marriage.

Others have argued that divorce is always a personal choice, and the court should focus on dealing with matters of alimony, custody of any children, or any other issues between the parties.

Furthermore, one lawyer questioned whether the existing paper failed to reveal the deep-rooted problems in a marriage, and suggested a more reasonable plan would be to involve psychologists and sociologists.