By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A Chinese man, Shi Liang who had dreamt of getting admission to read in one of the prestigious universities in the country has failed to meet the benchmark for admission, after failing the entrance exam for the 27th time.
Liang, 56, had abstained from alcohol and dedicated 12 hours to reading to achieve his lifelong dream, but to no avail.
In the latest entrance examination, the self-made millionaire scored 424 out of the minimum of 750 required to secure admission into any Chinese university.
Liang first took the entrance exam in 1983 at the age of 16. He has since then been a regular candidate with uncertainty beclouding his dream of becoming a university graduate.
He likely won’t retake the examinations next year, as he seems frustrated despite putting up so much efforts to pass.
“If I truly can’t see much hope for improvement, there is no point in doing it again. “I really did work hard every day,” he told local media in China.
“It’s hard to say whether I will keep on preparing for the gaokao next year. It’s a hard decision to make, I am not willing to give up either.”
He added, “I might give up, if I do attend it next year, I will give up my last name Liang if I fail.”
The entrance examination known as Gaokao, is a difficult examination that tests the intellectual capacity of each candidate and determines their life choices, universities, job opportunities, marriage and lifestyle.
The examination focuses on Chinese, mathematics, english and any other science or liberal art course.
In 2021, Chinese government data revealed that about 41.6% of candidates were accepted into universities or colleges.
Millions of Chinese students from all walks of life partake in the entrance examination on a yearly basis.
