China will impose tougher penalties for cheating in this year's National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The NCEE is one of the most important examinations in China; passing it is the only way for most young people to gain access to higher education. An unprecedented 1.01 million people registered for the exam in 2007, an increase of 600,000 compared with 2006, but only about 50 percent passed, according to MOE statistics.

The MOE said that punishment for those caught cheating would be a mandatory failing grade in all subjects -- the same as last year -- but starting this year, cheaters would also face disqualification from the subsequent year's exam. Cheaters might also face legal penalties.

According to the notification, administrative departments of education, test and exam institutions and recruitment departments at the provincial level should strengthen supervision and management of all aspects of the exam process. They should practice strict discipline and tighten relevant regulations.

Organized, high-tech cheating, such as by cell phones and the Internet, should be strictly banned.

The college enrollment process should be made more transparent and should comprehensively implement the Sunshine Program. Control of college recruitment should crack down on illegal enrollment and matriculation fraud.