Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news

Competition for the entry of next year's postgraduate programs is set to be tougher, as the number of people who will sit for the 2005 entry test will hit a record high, today's Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Latest data from www.chinayz.com.cn indicates more than 1.7 million people nationwide have registered on the website to take the entry test as of yesterday, the deadline of the registration.
This year, all those planning to sit for the test must make online registration on this website.
They will make on-site confirmation during November 10 and 14 at schools where they will take the test and obtain test cards.
China has seen a fueling zeal for postgraduate education and the number of people taking the test has staged a sharp growth.
More than 940,000 people took the 2004 postgraduate entry test, compared with 148,000 of 2003.
In 2004, more than 171,000 people took the test in Beijing, top among other regions and followed by Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hubei and Shaanxi Provinces.
Beijing may continue to receive the largest number of test takers for the 2004 test, industry insiders predicted.
Because of the fierce competition in job hunting, more undergraduate students rush to receive postgraduate programs to sharpen their competitive edges, they said.
Postgraduates are easier to find a job than their undergraduate peers, they noted.
As of September 93 percent of 2004 postgraduates have found jobs, ahead of undergraduates' 84 percent.