Villagers celebrate Li Wangjun's Tsinghua University admission in 1994 in Sanxiaba, Hubei province. Li earned a high score on the national college entrance exam (gaokao), and his fellow villagers are excited about the news.

On June 23 this year, the highest scorer from Beijing, Zhou Zhanping, walks out of his school after learning about his top marks.

The country's high school graduates today have more options when it comes to the "most important exam of their life" as the gaokao is called, and overseas universities recognize the test.