Harsh Goenka wants India to study China's Gaokao for NEET. Here's how tough the Chinese exam really is

Industrialist Harsh Goenka has urged India to take cues from China's highly secure Gaokao college entrance examination while strengthening the conduct of NEET and JEE.

In a post on X, Goenka highlighted the extensive security measures used during China's national college entrance exam, writing: "How China protects the Gaokao – its college entrance exams (13M+ students):
Papers printed in ultra-secure facilities under 24/7 surveillance
Armoured, GPS-tracked transport

Facial recognition & biometric verification
AI cameras, drones & signal jammers to stop cheating
Cities reduce traffic, halt construction & reroute flights to ensure silence
It would be a good idea for our new Education Minister @JoshiPralhad to study this model for our NEET/JEE exams. We have to treat our national exams as national security events and secure the chain end-to-end with biometric access, AI surveillance, live tracking, and airtight accountability."

How tough is China's Gaokao?

China's Gaokao and India's Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) are widely regarded as two of the world's toughest college entrance exams. Both attract millions of candidates every year and often determine admission to the country's most prestigious universities.

However, the two exams test students in very different ways. The Gaokao emphasizes broad knowledge across multiple subjects, while the JEE focuses on advanced problem-solving in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The Gaokao is held once a year, whereas JEE Main is conducted twice annually, followed by JEE Advanced for top performers.

Why Gaokao is considered one of the world's toughest exams

The Gaokao is treated as a national event in China. Every year, more than 12 million students take the exam, competing for limited seats at elite universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, where admission rates can reportedly fall below 0.1%.

The exam spans two days and covers Chinese language, mathematics, English and elective subjects from either science or humanities streams. Students are tested on everything from essay writing to complex mathematical problems.

Preparation typically dominates a student's entire high school life, as the Gaokao score largely determines university admission and can significantly influence future career prospects.

How tough is India's JEE?

India's JEE is the gateway to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other leading engineering colleges.

Around 1.5 million students appear for JEE Main each year, but only about 200,000 qualify for JEE Advanced. Ultimately, only around 1% of candidates secure admission to an IIT.

Unlike the Gaokao, JEE focuses exclusively on mathematics, physics and chemistry. The exam is known for its highly complex questions that test conceptual understanding, analytical ability and speed under intense time pressure.

Many aspirants begin preparing two to four years in advance, often enrolling in specialized coaching institutes alongside regular schooling.

Gaokao vs JEE: The biggest differences

The two examinations are challenging in different ways.

The Gaokao requires students to master a wide range of subjects, memorize large amounts of information and sustain their performance across two days of testing. Success depends on consistency across multiple disciplines.

The JEE, by contrast, demands exceptional depth in three subjects. Rather than testing memorization, it evaluates a student's ability to apply concepts to unfamiliar and highly challenging problems within a limited time.

Another key difference is the number of opportunities. The Gaokao is generally a once-a-year examination, making every attempt critical. JEE Main offers two attempts annually, although this also increases competition as many students retake the exam to improve their scores.

Which exam is harder?

There is no clear winner in the debate over which exam is tougher.

The Gaokao is considered more demanding because of its vast syllabus, multi-subject format and the enormous number of candidates competing for top university seats.

The JEE, on the other hand, is renowned for the extraordinary difficulty of its mathematics and science questions, requiring years of rigorous preparation and advanced analytical thinking.

For millions of students in China and India, both examinations represent years of sacrifice, intense preparation and immense pressure. Whether the goal is securing admission to Tsinghua University or an IIT, success in either exam can shape a student's academic and professional future.