Gaokao History exam-day guide
Gaokao History · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket (准考证)
Print the number of copies your provincial exam authority instructs and keep at least one with your bag and one with a parent or teacher. Confirm the exact printing and copy rules with your school or the provincial education examination authority (省级教育考试院), as these vary by province and year.
Resident ID card (居民身份证)
Check the validity date well before the exam. If it is lost, expired, or damaged, apply for a replacement or temporary ID at the public security bureau immediately; ask your school how to handle entry if the replacement will not arrive in time. Confirm the accepted alternative documents with the provider.
Approved writing instruments
Bring multiple 0.5 mm black gel or ballpoint pens (many provinces require black, not blue), at least two 2B pencils, a clean eraser, and a pencil sharpener. Confirm the exact pen color and pencil specification for your province's answer sheet with your school.
Compass, ruler, and set square
Plain, unmarked instruments only. Confirm whether your province permits them in the history paper and whether any printed markings are prohibited.
Clear pencil case or bag
Many provinces require a transparent pencil case or no case at all. Confirm the local rule with the provider before the exam.
No electronic devices
Phones, smart watches, fitness bands, earphones, and calculators are generally banned from the examination room and may lead to cancellation of results. Leave them with a parent or teacher or in the designated storage point. Confirm the local confiscation and penalty rules with the provider.
Watch
If you rely on a watch, use a simple analog or non-smart watch, and only if the province allows it. The examination room normally has a clock; confirm the local rule.
Water and light snack
Bring a clear, label-free water bottle if permitted; keep snacks for after the session. Confirm the local rule on bottles and drinks.
Weather and transport plan
Check the forecast and the route to the assigned school, including a backup route. Aim to arrive well before the entry deadline; confirm the exact entry cutoff time with the provider.
Review the answer-sheet mechanics
Rehearse filling in the 2B pencil multiple-choice grid and writing in the designated answer areas in black pen. Confirm the exact formats and any barcode or seal rules on the local answer sheet.
Sleep and meal routine
Start shifting your sleep schedule toward exam timing in the final days, and eat familiar food on exam morning. Avoid trying new foods or heavy caffeine on the day.
Emergency contacts
Save your head teacher's and a parent's numbers, and note the exam authority's hotline. Keep printed copies in your bag in case your phone is stored away.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Review your own error log and the high-frequency timelines, key terms, and source-analysis templates you have already practiced. Do one timed full paper or half paper per day at the same start time as the real exam, then spend more time correcting than answering. Re-check the admission ticket, ID, and venue; confirm transport and the entry rules with your school. Keep evenings light and protect sleep.
Do a short, calm review only: major periods, key figures, and the structure of essay answers (background, measures, impact; or argument, evidence, conclusion). Pack the bag with the checklist items and lay out clothes. Visit or mentally rehearse the route and confirm the meeting point with whoever accompanies you. Do not attempt a new full paper or stay up late. Set two alarms and sleep at a normal hour.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the venue with margin, and go through the security and ID checks calmly. Before entering, skim only a one-page summary of dates and terms; do not try to cram new material. Once seated, check that the paper and answer sheet match your name and number, fill in identifying information exactly as instructed, and listen for the invigilator's directions.
Read the whole paper briefly to allocate time; do not overrun on one hard multiple-choice item. Answer multiple-choice directly on the answer sheet with the 2B pencil, and write constructed responses in the designated areas in black pen with clear numbering. For source-based questions, quote or cite the material before explaining. For essays, spend a few minutes outlining the argument and evidence, then write with clear paragraph structure and a conclusion. Watch the clock at set checkpoints, leave time to transfer answers, and never leave the room before checking that every item has been answered.
Do not compare answers at length or rework the paper with classmates. Eat, rest, and prepare only lightly for the next subject. Report any problem with the paper, answer sheet, or conduct to your head teacher or the exam authority promptly.
Rules to check
Bring the admission ticket and valid resident ID; entry without them is normally refused. Confirm the accepted alternatives and the entry cutoff with the provider.
Follow all invigilator instructions on seating, timing, and the start and end signals. Do not start writing before the signal or continue after it; confirm the local penalty with the provider.
Electronic devices are generally prohibited in the examination room. Hand in phones and smart watches at the designated point; possession during the exam may lead to cancellation of results. Confirm the exact rule with the provider.
Breaks and leaving the room are usually restricted during the session. Raise your hand and wait for the invigilator; confirm whether toilet breaks are allowed and how they are escorted.
Write only in the designated answer areas and do not make marks elsewhere on the answer sheet. Confirm the local rules on extra sheets and correction tape with the provider.
Scoring is anonymous and based only on the answer sheet. Multiple-choice items are machine-scored; constructed responses are marked by examiners against a rubric. Confirm the exact marking and appeal procedures with the provider.
Any form of cheating, impersonation, or communication with other candidates is prohibited and can void results and affect future eligibility. Confirm the specific disciplinary rules with the provider.
If you feel unwell or face an emergency, tell the invigilator immediately rather than leaving on your own. Confirm the local procedure for medical incidents with the provider.