All entrants and monitors for the upcoming National Postgraduate Entrance Exam are required to take a nucleic acid test, according to a release from the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.

Issued by the Ministry of Education, National Health Commission and the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, the release mandated local authorities to set up separate test centers for participants who test positive and emergency test centers for those with abnormal temperatures and other severe symptoms.

Utmost efforts are to be made to ensure all entrants are able to take the exam, ensure their safety, and that the exam takes place as scheduled between Dec 24 to 26.

Entrants should wear masks before entering test centers and are advised to keep them on during the exam. Each test center will be equipped with masks, hand sanitizer and at least one medical worker.

Proper ventilation and disinfection should be conducted before and after each exam and local authorities can take extra precautions to minimize the risk of infection.

All test centers will be equipped with wireless signal shielding equipment to prevent cheating. All entrants are required to undergo identity and safety checks to prevent any communication equipment entering test centers.

Local education authorities will work with public security and market regulation authorities to crack down on the sale of devices for cheating and organized cheating, the release added.