The air crackles with anticipation in China's tiny eastern town of Maotanchang ahead of the "gaokao", the annual national college entrance exam more than 9 million students are taking this year. The town is famed for a middle school that puts students through rigorous 14-hour days in preparation for the exam, which begins on Wednesday and is usually spread over two days. This year about 9.4 million students will appear, the Xinhua state news agency said, roughly the same number since 2014 and down from a peak of 10.5 million in 2010. The fiercely competitive test is seen as a key to social mobility and the best chance for school leavers to land a white-collar job. Read more
