Abstract: Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) in China has been changing since its resumption in 1977. Guided by the principles of voluntary application and merit-based admission, the Gaokao system with Chinese characteristics values Chinese examination tradition and cultural psychology, as well as celebrates the orientation towards modernization and future. The system has greatly improved through continuous reform explorations, involving the change from the state-level organizing of national examination to the provincial, from Gaokao once a year to twice a year, from paper-based testing and enrollment to computer-based, from one-size-fit-all examined subjects to personalized selection scenario. In addition, the undifferentiated examination has shifted to a differentiated one targeting various types of higher education institutions; and the enrollment policies now focus on applicants' comprehensive qualities rather than their examination results alone.

Key words: Chinese characteristics, system of Gaokao, new Gaokao