China is home to a grueling test that has been dubbed by many as the world’s most stressful exam. The exam aka “Gaokao” is held every year and sees ten million students take the test at countless locations throughout China for a place in the National College. So basically, it is an entrance exam to university life in China and students are sorted into universities and fields based on their performance in this test. One-fourth of these unfortunate students don’t make the cut, and they can’t pursue university studies while an even larger number is unable to get into the program of their choice.
Due to this level of stakes, widespread cheating has been observed leading to stricter invigilation practices than before. The city of Luoyang will now employ surveillance drones that are equipped with anti-cheating technology to help the swathes of students taking the test in the city. Local authorities tested the system last Friday, and they hope that this automation will help in preventing students from cheating. A lot of tablets, smartphones, and other electronic devices have been recovered from cheating students in recent years so the drone carries a radio signal interceptor that can intercept communication from these devices and confiscate them.
The drone will have to work for the exam spread in two days. It is a nationwide event in China when even big cities come to a standstill position. Local Chinese authorities believe that the drone will also induce fear in the students of getting caught and, therefore, they will abstain from such illegal activities. The drone’s voice can be heard from some distance so it is safe to say that the student will stop cheating the moment its buzzing starts. But what about the increase in stress due to the presence of such imposing machines in the air? It seems that the students will have to deal with it along with poor examination conditions.