You might have already guessed that traffic would be a mess this week due to the rain that is projected to fall through Friday, but in fact, the roads are likely to be a downright disaster during rush hour as thousands of students are hauled off to take China's National College Entrance Examination – known as the Gaokao – in preparation for entrance into colleges and universities. The testing begins Tuesday, Jul 7 and will continue until Friday, Jul 10.
Due to the distribution of testing sites, traffic is expected to concentrate heavily along the east and north parts of the Second and Third Ring Roads, along with Jiangguomenwai Daijie and Xizhimen Dabeijie.
During the Gaokao period, police will be stationed near schools to ensure that traffic moves along. Vehicles will also be banned from honking while near schools, so at least you won't have to listen to a chorus of impatient drivers whilst stuck on the road.Projected morning rush hour traffic
Projected evening rush hour traffic
If you prefer a commute underneath the roads rather than on them, you might also notice a few youngsters skipping the line. Not to worry, as Gaokao students are granted priority at subway stations this week.