Some 6.13 million applicants will sit the annual national college entrance exams this weekend, 16 per cent more than last year despite the SARS outbreak.

Ministry of Education sources said that exam halls across the country have been sterilized to ward off SARS and other viruses.

Education Minister Zhou Ji and other senior ministry officials inspected examination rooms in Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, Hebei, Shandong and Sichuan provinces two days ago to make sure they were safe for participants.

In Beijing, 280 special buses will offer free shuttle services over the weekend to those sitting the tests. The transport has been arranged for students by the municipal party committee, according to Beijing Morning News.

Test participants are required to pass physical examinations several days beforehand and have their body temperatures checked before they enter the exam rooms.

Last month, the ministries of health and education jointly circulated a notice calling on regional authorities to ensure a hygienic environment for the examinees: good ventilation, clean desks and chairs. Each room will seat no more than 20 people. In the past few years, more than 30 participants have shared a room during their exams.

National examinations for college admission were previously held in early July. Starting this year, the exams will now take place one month earlier to avoid the heat of July.

Students can seek advice on colleges they may want to apply to by accessing the official websites www.chsi.com.cn, www.edu.cn, www.cer.net, and www.col.edu.cn from June 10 until the end of the month.

(China Daily June 7, 2003)