BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 883 

 

 

 

 

The Impact of New College Entrance Examination 

Reform on Academic Adaptation of Freshmen: Sup-

pression or Enhancement? 

By Bao, W. & Jin, H. H. 

Correspondence to:  Bao, W. Email: baowei@pku.edu.cn 

HIS a study published in Journal of East China Normal University (Ed-

ucational Sciences), which used the double differential propensity score 

matching method (PSM-DID). The research is based on the national college 

teaching quality and student development survey data and interview data, us-

ing the double differential tendency score matching method (PSM-DID) to 

explore the effect of the new college entrance examination reform on the ac-

ademic adaptation of freshmen. This paper used the national college student 

development survey data of year 2017 and 2018, setting the type of college 

entrance examination as the core independent variable. Judging by the differ-

ent location, students in Zhejiang and Shanghai are considering as the treat-

ment group, which values as 1; and students from other provinces are the 

control group, and the variable is 0. In order to improve the reliability of the 

data analysis results, this paper incorporates the individual characteristics of 

the students’ academic foundation (grouping and standardizing the college 

entrance examination scores), college characteristics, discipline types, aca-

demic participation, and family socioeconomic status into the control varia-

bles. This article focuses on the following three major issues: (i) How will 

the new college entrance examination reform affect students’ academic per-

formance at the university level? (ii) Whether the reform will help to im-

prove the matching degree of students’ professional choices? (iii) Whether 

those students with relatively weak educational resources may face obstacles 

in academic adaptation after admission.  

The research results are as follows: 

 In terms of academic performance, research data shows. Before 

the implementation of the new college entrance examination re-

form, the academic performance of students in Zhejiang and 

Shanghai areas was significantly better than other provinces. 

While after the reform, the academic performance advantage of 

freshmen in Zhejiang and Shanghai area has shrunk. On the one 

hand, the increase in the number of exams squeezed students’ lin-

T 



 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 884 

ear learning time, speeding up and compressing the learning pro-

gress, but instead caused the weakening of the students’ academic 

foundation before entering the university, leading to a decline in 

the academic performance of freshmen in Zhejiang and Shanghai. 

On the other hand, to help students choose professional subjects 

based on students’ learning interests and personality development. 

In reality, they are also alienated into divergence and avoidance 

of competition strategies that are difficult to optimize scores. This 

bought a freshman basic subject Risk of lack of knowledge. 

 About the interest of studying majors, after the implementation of 

the new college entrance examination reform, the academic inter-

est of freshmen in the Shanghai area of Zhejiang Province has 

significantly improved. The design of the admission mechanism 

of the new college entrance examination has met the students’ 

professional aspirations to the greatest extent, which helped to 

promote further studies. The degree of matching between the per-

son and the major of study. Due to the system design of subject 

selection, high school schools are required to strengthen the ca-

reer planning education of high school students to help students 

establish an objective understanding of various majors and their 

future career directions, so as to make more rational professional 

choices. 

 The impact of the new college entrance examination reform on 

college students’ academic adaptation has obvious heterogeneity. 

In the context of the new college entrance examination, due to the 

weak school hardware conditions, the shortage of teacher reserves 

and curriculum resources, the disadvantaged group of students in 

vulnerable high school schools may be at a disadvantage in the 

new progression model. It can be seen that the difference in the 

level of educational resources occupies the children of the disad-

vantaged in the new college entrance examination reform, which 

shows a more embarrassing situation of academic discomfort and 

decline after entering the university. 

The research conclusion of this article can provide the following four 

aspects of enlightenment for the reform of the new college entrance examina-

tion: 

First, the reform of the new college entrance examination requires re-

flection and coordination of possible conflicts between the reform measures 

and the teaching practice of the high school. On the basis of adhering to the 

value orientation of the new college entrance examination, the stability of the 

high school education is maintained. Second, university education also needs 

to adjust training programs in time for reforms, and provide targeted tutorial 

education for students with different subject structures and academic founda-

tions. Third, each reform area should provide sufficient high school teachers 

and social resources for each high school to assist each school to establish an 

effective life planning education system. Fourth, the new reform should con-



 

Vol.6, No.2, 2020 885 

sider the relatively weak schools at the grass-roots high schools, providing 

them with the necessary teachers and hardware conditions for the reform, so 

that the disadvantaged groups receive a fairer education. 

 

Source: Journal of East China Normal University (Educational Sciences), 2020; 

38(6):20-33.