A screenshot of the University of Cambridge website

The University of Cambridge confirmed that it would accept students based on Gaokao test results in a post on the University’s official Weibo account on March 25.

The Gaokao, China’s notoriously difficult university entrance exam, is now accepted by a number of overseas universities including the University of New Hampshire, which last year became the first state university in the US to accept Gaokao scores for new admissions, the University of Western Australia and the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Previously, Chinese students would have to take standardized college admission tests, such as the SAT and ACT used in US schools. However, to take these examinations in China is costly, and means only the rich families had the opportunity to send their children to study overseas.

The Economist last year reported that the University of Cambridge also belonged on the list of universities starting to accept the Gaokao, and after a myriad of emails asking for confirmation recently, the university took to Weibo and its website to issue a statement verifying the decision.

"The Gaokao is regarded as suitable preparation for Cambridge. The Gaokao scores of successful applicants will vary from province to province and year to year. As a guideline, successful applicants will usually have scores in the top 0.1% of those taking the Gaokao in their province. In addition to the total score, Cambridge Colleges will pay close attention to individual subject scores and scores in the Senior High School Examinations (Xueye Shuiping Kaoshi; previously the Huikao). The Xueye Shuiping Kaoshi alone are not regarded as suitable preparation for Cambridge.

Applicants studying for the Gaokao are encouraged to undertake additional study outside of their school qualifications. This might include, for example, relevant science Olympiads or College Board SAT I or II; or Advanced Placement Tests.

Gaokao offers are made on an individual basis, and we recommend that you contact the College to which you wish to apply for further advice and guidance."

Although the news was met with many positive comments online, many netizens noted that it would still be challenging to get into Cambridge, even if they did manage to score in the top 0.1 percent. “I am a student that Cambridge University will never get,” one user joked, while another wrote, “On my way to Tsinghua, I lost a number of rivals.”