A record figure of nearly 9 million high school graduates packed into exam halls around the country yesterday, for the first day of the National College Entrance Exam.

A student pauses to ponder an exam item during the college entrance exam in Changchun, Jilin Province June 7, 2006. [newsphoto]

Each one of the 8.8 million students is vying for one of only 2.6 million undergraduate places at China's universities.

Compared with last year the number of examinees has grown by 10 per cent, but university enrolment has only been able to increase by 5 per cent, making competition for places fiercer than ever before.

In Beijing more than 126,000 students are sitting the exam, said Xian Lianping, vice-director of the city's education committee.

He estimated that more than 70 per cent of those taking the exam in Beijing would find university places, thanks to education policies that favour the capital.

But even with such good odds parents are feeling the strain.

"Both my wife and I took two days off to accompany our daughter to the exam," said a father surnamed Ning, who sat in front of the Affiliated School of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, waiting for his daughter who was taking the exam yesterday afternoon.

Ning said they had also booked a room in the nearby Huiqiao Hotel for their daughter to rest in at noon, because their home in one of the city's northern suburbs is too far from the exam hall.

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