The Ministry of Education is calling on Chinese universities to retest student athletes' sports abilities following suspected abuse of athletic certificates for bonus points in the gaokao, the national college entrance exam.

To review students' qualifications for extra points in their gaokao results under a preferential scoring policy for students with special talents, universities are required to reassess the sports skills of students with athletic achievement certificates beginning this autumn, the ministry said on Tuesday. Those who fail the test will be considered to have cheated in acquiring their certificate, it said.

Local education authorities are also required to organize experts to review the performance of student athletes who are suspected of forging certificates, and those who are proved to be cheaters will be refused admission, the ministry said.