(Yicai Global) Dec. 18 -- The Chinese capital held the first computer-based English listening test for college entrance exams on Dec. 16, using facial recognition to prevent cheating, China Youth Daily reported.

The exam was the first subject tested for the 2018 college entrance exams in Beijing. Starting next year, the city will use a new testing mode for English exams, including a computer-based listening comprehension test which will run separate from the nationwide written test.

China's college entrance exam, also known as the gaokao, is a high-stakes business. Technological developments have allowed students to create new ways to cheat as they look to set themselves up for a strong future. Exam halls have battled back by bringing in metal detectors, facial recognition, signal jammers and even drones to stop exam takers cheating. Some of the dishonest methods students adopt  include wireless devices disguised as belts and erasers, and earpieces used to communicate with a partner outside the exam hall.

Artificial intelligence is a hot sector in China. Domestic firms are using the technology across a broad range of applications. Some have even set up unmanned retail stores which use facial recognition to identify customers and others have used biometrics to set up payment systems. A number of Chinese train stations have even adopted the technology to help speed up boarding.