Parents warned of consultant certification scams

As the results of the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, are released and college application season intensifies, some families are turning to paid consulting services to help navigate the process, fueling a market projected to reach 1.09 billion yuan ($150 million) in 2025.

However, the booming industry is shadowed by widespread deceptive practices within the associated training and certification market, where institutions lure potential workers with promises of "zero barriers to entry", "quick certification "and "guaranteed credentials".

According to Workers' Daily, a nationwide newspaper, numerous training institutions are aggressively marketing certification courses with fees that range from 880 yuan to nearly 6,000 yuan.

These institutions issue certificates claiming to have been accredited by a confusing array of bodies, including organizations proclaiming "national" or "ministerial" backing such as the Center for Educational Technology and Resource Development under the Ministry of Education, various industry associations and obscure entities. Many misrepresent these certificates, falsely labeling them as official "professional qualifications" required for entry into lucrative fields.

These claims are fundamentally false. The application consulting service role does not appear in the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security's national occupational qualification directory, confirming that no such professional qualification exists.

Furthermore, key organizations cited by training providers, including the Ministry of Education's Center for Educational Technology and Resource Development and the China Wisdom Engineering Association, have publicly refuted any involvement, issuing statements clarifying they neither offer gaokao application service training nor issue related certificates.

Meanwhile, training providers heavily promote the potential for high post-certification earnings, with some telling potential workers they can make"30,000 yuan in three days" during the application season or claiming a massive market gap with only 20,000 practitioners nationwide.

They specifically target groups such as university students and stay-at-home parents seeking an income, promising not just certification but also client referrals and access to exclusive databases after payment. One Beijing-based institution claimed graduates of the certification programs could earn at least 10,000 yuan in their first season through its platform.

The reality for many trainees falls far short. Consumer complaints, particularly those posted on service platform Black Cat, detail a pattern of broken promises: certificates are frequently delayed or never delivered, and guaranteed job placements or client assignments often fail to materialize. Some institutions reportedly introduce impossible assessment hurdles after payment to avoid fulfilling referral commitments.

Experts attribute the market's fervor to intense parental anxiety over securing quality higher education and future job prospects for their children, coupled with information gaps that businesses exploit.

Gao Hang, vice-dean of the School of Education at the Renmin University of China, said the validity of "quick certification" for gaokao consulting is questionable, arguing that effective guidance requires deep, dynamic knowledge of fields, institutions and individual student assessment — skills not rapidly acquired.

Most crash courses offer only superficial knowledge or scripted responses, creating an illusion of easy wealth through exploitative marketing, he said.

The Ministry of Education has specifically cautioned against high-priced consulting services peddled by self-proclaimed experts who falsely claim access to internal information or exclusive data. The ministry said no such privileged data exists and confirmed that no official gaokao application consulting professional qualification is issued by authorities. Free, comprehensive resources are available through official systems and provincial admissions offices.

The ministry has urged families to rely exclusively on official channels for admissions information, stressing that fraudulent actors exploit the anxious during this critical period.

Fraudsters have created deceptive websites and apps by subtly altering official domain names — such as changing edu.cn to edn.cn — or mimicking legitimate platforms to steal personal data or sell illegitimate services. The ministry has coordinated with internet platforms to add "official website" identifiers to authenticated channels and emphasized verifying institutions through its official list of accredited universities.

The ministry also warned families to reject any offers of "special admission", including promises of internal quotas or backdoor entry facilitated by individuals claiming connections to officials or universities. Such offers are always fraudulent. Admissions are conducted strictly through transparent, computerized online systems with rigorous oversight, and no fees are ever required for legitimate enrollment.

zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn