Student considers quitting after 27 attempts at college entrance exam

But there’s one goal he hasn’t yet achieved, though not for lack of trying: getting a good enough score on China’s college entrance exam to enter a top university.

Liang took the grueling two-day exam, known as the “gaokao,” in early June alongside nearly 13 million students nationwide. It marked his 27th time taking the gaokao, having been unsatisfied with his score each time since he first sat the exam 40 years ago.

Students’ exam results are their only criteria for college admission – and most candidates only get one shot, with the test happening once a year.

Liang has been the outlier, making national headlines for his persistence.

But it has so far failed to pay off; after completing the gaokao, he filmed a video on Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok, saying he was “not very satisfied” with his performance.

“It may be a little difficult if I want to go to a good university this year,” he said in the video.

The results, released on Friday, confirmed his fears. He had scored 428 points out of the total 750 – lower than his results the previous year, and not enough to get into most colleges, let alone an elite one like Sichuan University, which he’s been eyeing for decades.