The annual college entrance exam kicks off this weekend. Desperate parents and teachers are trying every means possible to prepare students for the so-called "key step in determining your future".

Let's take a look at what's going on.

A commentary in China Youth Daily depicts a "grand meeting" for college entrance examinees in high school. At the meeting, a headmaster defines the entrance exam as "a decisive battle", while teachers refer to themselves as comrades fighting this battle side by side with students. What's more, parents appreciate the teachers for training such an "unrivaled army". The writer says "Madness" is probably the only word to describe the situation.

China Reform News carries a headline reading "an auspicious pen". An humble pack of stationery is gaining popularity among the examinees and their parents, purely because the image of Confucius is printed on the ball-point pen inside.

Parents hope this will bring good fortune and success to their children. Although it costs much more than the ordinary stationary set, parents are still happy to pay a little extra for the "auspicious" pack.

The commentary in China Youth Daily says the only way to cool the entrance exam down is to reform the testing system. The first step is to separate teaching and testing. To be specific, high schools should focus simply on cultivating qualified high school students, while the universities and government take care of the entrance exam. Without having to worry about the fierce competition caused by the exams, high schools will be able to pay more attention to the development of well rounded individuals.