Comprehensive test

Unlike the SAT, which focuses on math, analytical ability and writing skills, the gaokao is a comprehensive test that covers disciplines such as Chinese language, mathematics, English, politics, chemistry, physics, history and geography.

Shi Yan, of the Chivast Education International consultancy in Beijing, said accepting gaokao scores in the admissions procedure will help US universities tap into a group of students who did not score highly enough to get into their first-choice college in China.

"Given the fierce competition for university places in China, studying in the US can be a good alternative," Shi said, adding that study experience in the US can also improve a student's resume, as it demonstrates that they have good intercultural understanding and a strong command of English.

According to the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit in New York, of the more than 1 million foreign students who enrolled at US universities during the 2016-17 academic year, 350,755, or about 35 percent, were Chinese, a rise of 6.8 percent from the previous year.

Sun Tao, president of Vision Overseas Consulting Co, a subsidiary of New Oriental Technology and Education Group, said the growing acceptance of gaokao scores in US universities will give Chinese students the option of applying to schools while also preparing for the exam or applying after the test.

The gaokao is an good way of selecting talent, and a high score in the exam is proof of good basic knowledge, perseverance, patience, and a strong ability to deal with high pressure and compete with others, according to Sun.

However, he conceded that in years gone by the single-minded focus on the gaokao isolated students from educational opportunities outside China because they had little time for anything other than intense cramming in the years leading up to the rite-of-passage exam.

He added that more US universities will probably begin accepting gaokao scores to attract a greater number of Chinese, who as international students usually have to pay full tuition and are therefore regarded as an important source of revenue.