BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China has postponed the national self-taught higher education examination for the first half of the year to August over coronavirus concerns, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced Saturday.

The examination, originally scheduled for April 11 and 12, will be held in August, with the national unified tests to be held on Aug. 1 and 2 and the dates for provincial-level tests to be decided by provincial authorities, the MOE said.

Beijing can make its own arrangements for the exam contingent on its local epidemic control situation and make the plan public upon the approval of the MOE.