This is the first year that China is allowing migrant students to take part in the national college entrance exam away from their home province or city.

Migrant students refer to high school students whose registered permanent residence, or hukou, are not the same as their current residence.

More than 20 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, will allow the new policy this year.

Although there are only a few thousand eligible migrant students among 9 million exam candidates, it highlights a leap forward in educational equality in China.

The policy will help candidates from areas with more intense competition move to areas with less competition. It is believed that the number of migrant exam candidates will increase every year after a period of adjustment.

The policy still puts some restrictions on candidates' status, including time of school enrollment, a legal and fixed residence, parents' jobs and their social insurance. For example, migrant students in Heilongjiang province are asked to have three consecutive years of enrollment at a high school in the province plus a local fixed residence.