A record 4.57 million students are expected to take the national postgraduate entrance exam scheduled from Saturday to Monday — 800,000 more than last year, the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.

Given the considerable increase in the number of participants and sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks in different regions, the ministry has guided local education authorities to take targeted measures to ensure the safety of exam participants, ministry spokesperson Xu Mei said. 

For provincial regions that are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks, emergency plans have been made to make sure students can take the test locally, rather than taking it at their targeted universities in other regions, she said. More test centers have been set up to meet students’ demands, including at quarantine sites and even at hospitals for participants under COVID-19 treatment, Xu said. 

Participants should make full preparations and take necessary epidemic containment measures, she said. They should also follow exam rules and regulations and not take part in any form of cheating or other criminal activities, she said, adding that those guilty of serious violations, such as organizing large-scale cheating, can be sentenced to three to seven years in prison.The country expects to see 10.76 million students graduate universities next year, up 1.67 million from this year, according to the ministry.