7000 sit exam for a place in Chinese art school

Nearly 7000 students take part in the college entrance exam. Photo / Getty

Nearly 7,000 students were pictured recently sitting for an entrance exam for Shandong University of Arts and Design in east China.
On February 16 the examinees sat patiently in the 200,000-square-foot hall of the Shungeng International Convention Center in Jinan city, reports the People's Daily Online.
With registration for the university on the rise, this year's competition has become much fiercer as the number of students set to be recruited by the university has shrunk.

This year's competition has become much fiercer. Photo / Getty

The aspiring artists sat in long rows on the marble floor in front of their identical easels, canvas, paintbrushes and paint as they carefully crafted their artwork.
They're required to attend a sketching session, a drawing session and a painting session.

In the freezing cold room they all painted what looked to be a similar painting of some fruit next to a vase or pot. As well as the painting the students sketched with pencil what seemed to be a bucket next to a bottle and a book.
Pictures taken on the day of the exam show the students focusing on their work intensely in a bid to win a place at the university. Amazingly, a student who had no arms sat the exam room and used his feet to paint as well as sketch.

The exam was for a place at the Shandong University of Arts and Design in east China. Photo / Getty

Their work will be marked and reviewed by the teachers from Shandong University of Arts and Design.
For the budding young artists who took their exams yesterday, chances of getting are very slim, only one out of every 30 candidates will be chosen.
Art universities have always been a hit among China's high school students who are applying for the limited spaces available. The Shandong Arts and Design University is one of 31 art and design universities in the country.

A student with no arms used his feet to paint as well as sketch. Photo / Getty

According to its website the university's goal is to foster "scientifc spirit, humanistic accomplishment, artistic innovation and technical skills".
Around 900,000 applicants take the national college entrance exam for art in China every year.