Link between divorce, national exams tenuous

Authorities are denying that the divorce rate in China increased quickly following the latest round of the annual national college entrance examinations, which ended on June 8.

At the same time, they concede that some couples did decide to wait until after their child had taken the possibly life-altering tests to take steps to end their marriages.

Chinese media recently reported that the divorce rates in cities such as Beijing and Nanjing increased quickly following the conclusion of the latest round of the national college entrance examinations. Many couples, they said, believe they had fulfilled their parental responsibilities by raising their children to the age when they would take the tests - usually 18 - thus making it an appropriate time to end their marriages.