Students wait to take a practice test for the upcoming art examination on Dec 31, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The recruiting examination for art students in Shanxi province has started. Many students are in the home stretch of the test. Some get up at 6 am to practice singing, and some work on their paintings late into the night. They have to prepare for the test components, which include off-the-cuff remarks, a talent show and sketches.

Zhou Xinyue, headmaster of an art school in Shanxi, noted that the art test, which was in demand for many years, is declining in popularity because it becomes more difficult. About 40,000 students in Shanxi took the exam in 2006, while the number decreased to 20,000 this year. Colleges and universities also reduced the number of admitted students.