A student exchanges a high-five with his father before taking the gaokao in June. Wang Jing / China Daily

Students are allowed to choose other subjects, including political science, history, geography, physics, chemistry and biology, depending on personal interests and school requirements. Scores in these subjects are added to the total for the national entrance exam.

The reform is also encouraging more provinces to join the standardized examination.

The Education Ministry has also asked all provincial education authorities to implement reform plans before June.

Li Zhen, the director of the Jilin Education Examination Authority, sees gaokao reform as necessary.

"The country's economic conditions have changed and the need for talent is different from before," she said, adding that the country now needs talent with innovative ability.

"Using one single paper and one examination can be hard to gauge a student's potential for innovation," she said.

Li Yuanyuan, the president of Jilin University, which is the top-ranked university in the country's northeast and one of the top 10 nationwide, said the reform needs time to prove itself, and he urged society to be patient with it.

"We should be patient and confident in the reform. If everyone believed it is something that must be done, it should be allowed to take the first step," he said, adding that the reform can be adjusted accordingly.

Contact the writer at luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn