The national college entrance exam is right around the corner. Much of the country is working to create a good environment for the students who will sit for the xams, starting on Saturday.

Wang Xuming, spokesman Ministry of Education

(CCTV 06-07-2008 08:59)The national college entrance exam is right around the corner. Much of the country is working to create a good environment for the students who will sit for the exams, starting on Saturday.

The Ministry of Education says the number of students taking the exam has a hit record high, reaching over 10 million.

Wang Xuming, spokesman Ministry of Education, said, "10 and a half million students will take the college entrance exams this year, up four percent from last year. Meanwhile, universities and colleges in the whole country plan to enroll nearly 6 million students, 5 percent higher than last year. So the enrollment opportunity for students is higher than in previous years."

The final checks of more than 300,000 examination rooms throughout the country have been finished. The exam papers have been handed out, and have been kept secret for 24 hours.

The national exam is so important that authorities around the country reroute traffic and suspend work on construction sites.

Educational authorities say they will step up measures to prevent cheating.

Special regulations have been instituted in areas struck by last month's deadly earthquake. Some students will take the test in temporary houses. The Ministry of Education has ordered a safety check of examination rooms, dormitories and dining halls for students in the quake zone. The exam will be postponed in the 62 worst-hit counties in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.