A student who arrived one minute late in 2016's Gaokao on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, is turned away in east China's Shandong Province. [Photo: weibo.com]

A picture showing a candidate who was one minute late being refused to sit Gaokao, China's National College Entrance Exams, in north China's Shangdong province, has aroused debate on China's social media.

The candidate, whose name remains unknown, was reportedly late for an English language test on Wednesday.

This was the last test in the two-day exam and the English test was set to start at 3pm. However, according to regulations released in advance, all candidates must arrive at the exam hall before 2.45pm, with anyone late refused entry.

The student explained that he came to the exam hall alone by riding a bicycle. He set out from home at 1.50pm, trying his best to get to school on time; but he failed to make it by one minute.

Many parents of other candidates who kept vigil outside the exam site reportedly pleaded with a teacher for leniency. But the pleas were turned down as the teacher said "a rule is a rule."

A bystander posted a photo of the boy onto China's twitter-like Weibo, quickly garnering attention from the public.

Some internet users argued the school should give the student one more chance because missing this test means one more year of preparation for the next one. Others insisted that rules should be kept and anyone who breaks them should be punished, regardless of what kind of reasons he/she holds.

The Chinese Gaokao is in some ways like the American SAT, except that it lasts more than twice as long. The nine-hour test can only be taken once a year and is the sole determinant for admission to virtually all Chinese colleges and universities. According to Thepaper.cn, a Chinese news portal, about five out of eight students made the cut in 2015.

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