One Chinese exam is so treacherous a school installed ‘anti-suicide’ barriers to keep students alive

China’s university entrance exam is so stressful that at least one school has reportedly installed barriers to stop students from committing suicide.

According to The Telegraph, Hengshui No. 2 High School in Hebei province installed cage-like grates ahead of the grueling test to protect stressed out students.

The exam, given annually, is renowned for its difficulty. In June, nine million teenagers will sit for the test, which is the single piece of information most Chinese admissions offices use to determine whether to accept or deny teens coveted spots at their universities.

Two students at the school have already killed themselves this school year, the Telegraph reported, noting that there is mounting pressure to change the exam in the wake of increased reports of student suicides.

The school isn’t the first place in China to construct suicide barriers. In 2010, the New York Daily News reported that a Foxconn factory that manufactured iPhones installed similar barriers after a dozen workers committed suicide.

Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.