Aspiring entertainment stars in China might need to polish their English skills in order to enter the showbiz industry. This observation is based on the changes made to the annual admissions examinations of the top art colleges in China on Monday.

Dubbed as the top influential breeding grounds for talents in China, the Beijing Film Academy, Communication University of China and the Central Academy of Drama have started their second-round examination on Monday. Tests will continue until early March.

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Setting the bar high, the Beijing Film Academy welcomed more than 30,000 applicants who will compete for the 467 slots available, a 23.4 percent year-on-year increase. Central Academy of Drama, on the other hand, received nearly 30,000 applicants who are eyeing for the 573 slots, while Communication University of China has almost 27,300 vying for 756 seats.

Reports indicate that the field of performance majors has the toughest competition. The Communication University of China got nearly 4,300 applications for 26 slots, that is, 165 applicants to compete for one seat, while Beijing Film Academy received 170 per slot.

The Beijing Film Academy emphasized its expectations on student's foreign language scores despite the fact that national college entrance exams (otherwise known as gaokao) in the country do not and will not include English proficiency tests in the future.

According to the academy's dean of studies Mu Deyuan, the move is not in contrast with the policy, but in fact "a solution to meet the changing demands for talent education and the movie markets."

Furthermore, Mu pointed out that to qualify for international projects, students are required to polish their English skills. 

Tagsentertainment industry, showbiz industry, china, Beijing Film Academy, Communication University of China, Central Academy of Drama, performance major