It is a national examination of higher education self-study examination, which mainly focuses on academic qualifications. There are two main ways for candidates to learn. One is to study in a student-aided point organized by an institution of higher learning or enter our school for full-time study, and the other is to study or further study in a student-aided unit organized by a social organization.

There are a wide range of groups taking the self-study exam, including workers, farmers, administrative personnel, ethnic minorities, PLA, armed police officers and soldiers, public security personnel, disabled people, prisoners and so on.

Self-taught examination has the advantages of flexible learning style, small contradiction between work and study, low cost, "lenient entry and strict exit" and "separation of teaching and examination (that is, separation of proposition and guidance)". All citizens of People's Republic of China (PRC) (China), regardless of gender, age, nationality, race and education level, can take the self-study exam.