About 1.5 million students in China are taking the nationwide entrance examination for post-graduate schools held on Saturday and Sunday, China News Services reports.

A student preparing for the coming National Graduate Entrance Examination on January 15th 2011. At 1.51 million the exam had its highest number of applicants since 2001. [Photo: gov.cn]

Approximately 1.4 million graduate students took part in the exam last year, 465,000 of which were accepted, official statistic figures showed.

The rise in applicants this year is mainly due to a growth of university graduates and serious difficulties in job hunting in the country, the report said.

It is predicted that total enrollment will remain unchanged with more specialized students and fewer academic ones.

Finance, economics and management are still among the popular majors, and education has witnessed a sharp rise of applicants due to the increasing importance for teachers, according to the report.

Compared to 2010, the country faces an increase of 300,000 graduate students this year.