The Joint Entrance Examination for Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Students is a specialized university entrance examination designed by the Ministry of Education of China for these student groups. It is the primary pathway for these students to apply for universities in mainland China. Due to the numerous advantages of this examination, it has become increasingly popular among parents in recent years. What was the policy for the 2018 Joint Entrance Examination? The following information is excerpted from the Ministry of Education.
These measures have been formulated in accordance with the relevant opinions of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council regarding the enrollment of students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese students by ordinary universities (hereinafter referred to as the National Joint Enrollment).
I. Eligibility Requirements
Individuals who meet one of the following criteria and possess a high school diploma (from an accredited educational institution) may apply:
1. Candidates from Hong Kong or Macao: Must hold a permanent resident identity card of Hong Kong or Macao and a "Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents."
2. Candidates from Taiwan: Must hold a valid identity document for residence in Taiwan and a "Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents."
3. Overseas Chinese candidates: Candidates and at least one of their parents must have obtained long-term or permanent residency in the country of residence and have resided in that country for a continuous period of 2 years (as of the application deadline). Within those two years, they must have cumulative residency of no less than 18 months. Specifically, the candidate must have resided in the country of residence for no less than 18 cumulative months within the two years prior to the application.
If the candidate or their parent has not obtained long-term or permanent residency in the country of residence, they may still apply if they have held a legal residence status in the country for at least 5 consecutive years (including the 5th year), have resided in the country for at least 30 cumulative months within those 5 years, and the candidate has resided in the country for at least 30 cumulative months within the 5 years prior to the application.
II. Application Procedures
1. The National Joint Enrollment is organized by the Office for Joint Enrollment of Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Students (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Enrollment Office), utilizing a combination of online pre-registration and on-site formal confirmation. The application period is from March 1st to March 31st each year. From March 1st to 15th, candidates complete online pre-registration on the Joint Enrollment Office website. From March 16th to 31st, candidates must go in person for application confirmation. Candidates must confirm their application at designated points in the six regions announced by the office: Beijing, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao. Overseas Chinese candidates must apply in the Guangdong examination zone; candidates from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan holding regional educational credentials must apply in the location where they graduated from high school.
2. Candidates must submit the following materials at the time of on-site confirmation. All submitted documents must be original, and identity documents must be within their validity period. Graduation certificates and transcripts for graduating students, as well as certificates of overseas residency, will be retained for review.
(1) Candidates from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan must provide the relevant supporting documents specified in the eligibility requirements.
(2) Overseas Chinese candidates must provide: ① Documents proving the legal relationship with the parent(s) who hold the overseas Chinese status (if both parents are deceased, relevant legal materials such as death certificates and proof of their overseas Chinese status are required); ② A certificate of long-term or permanent residency in a foreign country for the candidate and at least one parent, issued by a Chinese embassy or consulate (Chinese version, indicating the duration of continuous residence and the actual cumulative residence within two years), or a certificate of legal residence status in the country of residence (Chinese version, indicating the continuous period of legal residence and actual cumulative residence within 5 years); ③ The People's Republic of China passport. If residing in a country that does not have diplomatic relations with China, the residency authentication must be processed by the embassy or consulate of a third-party country that has diplomatic relations with both China and the country of residence, followed by an authentication issued by the Chinese embassy or consulate in that third-party country (Chinese version, indicating the date when residency was obtained).
(3) All candidates must provide proof of high school completion (from an accredited educational institution). Current high school graduates must provide a graduation certificate issued by their school and original transcripts from the first year to the first semester of the third year of high school; upon enrollment, they must submit the high school diploma and transcripts from the second semester of the third year to the Joint Enrollment Office. Graduates from previous years must provide their high school diploma and original transcripts for all three years. Candidates with foreign qualifications must provide an authentication of their academic credentials issued by a Chinese embassy or consulate (Chinese version, indicating whether the study was part of an accredited educational program).
(4) If a candidate is unable to attend the on-site confirmation due to special circumstances, they must submit a written application. With the consent of the confirmation point, a relative may be entrusted to act on their behalf. The representative must present the candidate's ID, their own ID, a signed power of attorney from the candidate, and the candidate's electronic photo and application materials. Each representative may only process the confirmation for one candidate.
III. Audit of Eligibility
1. After the application period, the Joint Enrollment Office will coordinate with relevant departments to audit candidates' eligibility, including identity and educational qualification verification.
2. Immigration and border control authorities in the respective examination zones will verify candidates' exit-entry document information and provide entry-exit records for overseas Chinese candidates.
3. Information for candidates holding mainland China educational qualifications will be collected by the Joint Enrollment Office and sent to the provincial educational administrative department where the candidate's high school is located for verification.
4. After auditing the eligibility of candidates, the Joint Enrollment Office will publish the list of approved candidates on its official website, including the name, gender, and qualification category. Only candidates who successfully pass the qualification audit and are on the public list may sit for the examination. Any candidates found to have performed fraudulent activities after the public notice will be disqualified from taking the examination and from admission.
IV. The Examination
1. Examination Subjects: For science and engineering categories, the subjects are Chinese, Mathematics, English, Physics, and Chemistry. For humanities and history categories, the subjects are Chinese, Mathematics, English, History, and Geography. Each subject is worth 150 points. The Ministry of Education Examination Center develops the examination questions according to the relevant syllabus.
2. Examination Schedule: The examination is held on the third weekend of May each year. Saturday: 9:00—11:30 Chinese, 13:30—15:30 English. Sunday: 9:00—11:00 Mathematics, 13:00—15:00 Physics/History, 16:00—18:00 Chemistry/Geography.
3. Examination Locations: There are six examination zones for the National Joint Enrollment: Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao. After their eligibility is confirmed, candidates may choose any one of these zones to sit for the examination.
4. Other Matters: Candidates applying for arts or sports majors must participate in practical/technical examinations. The time, location, and specific requirements for these practical examinations are determined by the respective universities, and candidates should contact their target universities as early as possible.
5. The National Joint Enrollment examination utilizes computerized assessment assistance system.