Students with disabilities from Sichuan province enter exam rooms for the gaokao in April in Beijing. [WANG QIN/CHINA DAILY]

China is increasing its assistance for people with disabilities taking the national college entrance examination, or gaokao.

Examining bodies across the country should offer reasonable accommodations to test takers who have disabilities on the basis of their specific needs, according to regulations released on Friday by the Ministry of Education and the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

Starting this year, test takers with disabilities can enter examination halls ahead of time, and the halls will have specialized staff, such as sign language interpreters, in place to offer assistance.

"The regulations were released to ensure that people with disabilities can have convenient and equal access to the exams," the ministry said.

Last year marked the first time that blind and visually impaired people were officially allowed to take the gaokao, with the ministry releasing a notice last April stipulating that examining bodies should provide necessary assistance and tools to enable such people to take the test.

This year, the stipulations were extended to cover the needs of more people with disabilities.

Blind and visually impaired people should be provided with exam papers in large-sized characters or papers printed in Braille. They are also allowed to take devices such as a Braille pen, writing board, drawing tools, Braille typewriters and even desk lamps and magnifying glasses into the examination hall.

People with hearing disabilities can bring hearing aid devices and can be exempted from the listening section of the English tests if they get permission in advance.