Students in Shangrao preparing for the 2027 high school entrance exam, or zhongkao, will choose two of eight optional physical test items — a list that for the first time includes basketball, football, volleyball and swimming.
The compulsory item remains the long-distance run: 1,000 meters for boys and 800 meters for girls. The other six optional items are the one-minute rope skip, pull-ups for boys (sit-ups for girls), standing long jump, the 50-meter sprint, plus the four new ball and water sports.
Long-Distance Run Scoring Gets More Lenient
The full-mark standards for the runs are unchanged — 3 minutes 40 seconds for the boys’ 1,000 meters and 3 minutes 25 seconds for the girls’ 800 meters — but the overall scoring is looser. Under this year’s scale, a girl running 800 meters in 4:07 earns 20 points, compared with 3:51 under last year’s requirements.
Counties Set Their Own Exam Dates, Usually in April or May
Each county and district in Shangrao arranges its own unified exam at different times. Referencing 2026, the tests generally take place in April or May, leaving students roughly six months to train and pick the two optional items that best fit their abilities.
Questions Students Are Asking About the 2027 Test
How many optional items must a student take? Two. The eight optional items — rope skip, pull-ups or sit-ups, standing long jump, 50-meter sprint, basketball, football, volleyball and swimming — are chosen two at a time.
What are the full-mark times for the compulsory run? Boys must run 1,000 meters in 3:40 and girls 800 meters in 3:25 for full marks.
When do the exams happen? Each county and district schedules its own unified test, typically in April or May, based on the 2026 pattern.