BEIJING - China's Ministry of Education has vowed to regulate test books market for primary and middle school students through strict supervision on publication and distribution channels.

The ministry has said it was working with the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) to revise government regulations on the management of test and reference books for primary and middle schools, issued in 2001.

The revision would "further regulate the editing, printing, and distribution work" of these books, the ministry said in a statement on its website, but giving no further details.

It is common for Chinese students in lower grades to do a large amount of after-class exercises and tests, often in line with the instruction of the school, in order to get better score in exams. This has led to a booming market of test books.

Many schools have been under fire for forcing students and their parents to buy extra test books. In some cases, publishing houses, book dealers and schools are blamed for seeking illegal kickbacks through forced deals.

According to the 2001 regulations, education departments at all levels are not allowed to force schools to purchase any kind of test books, and schools should not organize students to buy these books.