What Are The Similarities Between Gaokao And The SAT

In Maotanchang, China, students call their standardized test, the Gaokao. An article, “Inside a Chinese Test-Prep Factory” by Brook Larmer, takes a closer look on a student's experience with the Gaokao. It explains Yang Wei's struggles and the consequences of the Gaokao in order to get into a good college. Although there are some similarities between Chinese students' experience with the Gaokao and American students' with the SAT, the two are very different. The Gaokao and the SAT both have one goal, to succeed. In order to succeed, these standardized tests are what can help us get into a good college. If we get a higher score on the test, we have a better chance to get into the college that stresses on these scores. Sometimes, people who have money can hire tutors to help them with Sats and Gaokaos. These tests make Yang Wei and I nervous because we need to get good scores. Getting high scores can help us get financial aid and make it cheaper to go to
college.
There is a lot “pressure” on trying to get high scores because we would like to go to a better school and “become the first family to attend college.” We want to further our education that our parents did not get, giving us the chance to have more opportunities for ourselves in the future. Despite their similarities, the Sat and the Gaokao are very different. The Sat happens every year while the Gaokao is “administered every June over two or three days.” For the Sat, I have to focus more on reading, writing, and math, however; Yang Wei has to focus “on science [and] on humanities.” He has to “start memorizing and regurgitating facts [that] weighs on Chinese students from the moment they enter elementary school.” For American students, they do not have to start “memorizing” facts because going to school is a gradual learning. Starting from grade school to high school, American students start to grasp the things on the Sat. The Gaokao focuses more on knowing just “facts” while the Sat
focuses more on “logic and reasoning.” When students are always knowing just facts, their brains could “become rigid [in which] they can’t think for themselves.” With more common sense and reasoning, it teaches people to think for themselves and to solve problems. Chinese students who take the Gaokao do not have any other options except the test; this is their chance of getting into a good college and becoming successful. However, American students can go to colleges that are Sat optional or go to community college then transfer. Even if American students do not do well on the Sat, it is only part of their application; they look at everything the students do before deciding if they are a good fit for the school. In America, there are free Sat Prep programs that can help low-income students like me improve my scores and inform us more about colleges. In China, there are no free programs that can help poor students or inform them about college. Chinese teachers have to work very hard for their students to do well on the Gaokao and “can expect to be fired [if they do not help the students achieve high scores].” In contrast, teachers in my school do not really emphasize on Sat or do any practices from the Sat. These are the differences between the Sat and Gaokao. Chinese students and American students have different experiences on taking the Sat and Gaokao, even though there are some similarities. The Gaokao is what can make these Chinese students successful in life. While, the Sat is only a part of an application to furthering their education. Overall, our experiences are vastly different.