For millions of teenagers in the mainland, the National College Entrance Examination, more commonly known as the gaokao, is the most critical point in their formal education. However, four students in Guangdong have been automatically disqualified from this year’s English speaking and listening segments after leaking key information online.

According to the Guangdong Education and Examinations Authority, answers of the listening and speaking part of the English segment of this year’s gaokao were released on April 24th, the four students’ are thought to be responsible and have been banned from taking the examination this year. It is the first case of its kind in Guangdong.

As reported by the Southern Metropolis Daily, the four students spread rumors on Sina Weibo after the exam saying that the invigilator had even helped them copy answers.

The Education and Examinations Authority has investigated it and verified that what they said was untrue. The four students were simply expressing anger about the poor quality of the examination method.

Starting last year, the listening and speaking section of the English segment, which accounts for 10 percent of the total mark, was separated from the reading and writing.

The spokesperson of Guangdong Education and Examinations Authority explained that, while the students would automatically fail this part of their test, they could still take the written English test in early June.