China's National Postgraduate Entrance Examination (NPEE) for 2022 kicked off on December 25.

A record 4.57 million people registered to take the exam, 800,000 more than last year, according to the Ministry of Education.

Jiangsu province announced that 299,000 students applied for the examination this year, approximately 36,000 more than last year.

Over 15,000 people registered to take the NPEE in Changzhou, about 3,000 more than the previous year.

Changzhou University, Jiangsu Institute of Technology, and Changzhou Municipal Education Examination Authority are the designated exam sites in Changzhou this year.

A total of 9,977 exam-takers registered to take the NPEE at Changzhou University, 2,336 more than last year. This marks a year-on-year increase of about 30.6 percent, higher than the national growth rate.

Data from Changzhou University also showed about 70 percent of its graduates this year have chosen to pursue postgraduate studies, up 40.5 percent over last year.

Given the considerable increase in the number of participants and sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks in different regions, local education authorities have taken targeted measures to ensure the safety of exam participants under the ministry's guidance.