A court in southwestern China introduced an examination that couples who wish to divorce must fail in order for their applications to be approved.
The exam, administered at the Sichuan Yibin People’s Court, is the brainchild of Magistrate Wang Shiyu.
It is divided into three parts: “fill-in-the-blanks,” “short answer” and “statements.” Questions progress from basic information to in-depth perspectives.
Some items ask for the spouse’s favorite food and parents’ birthdays before probing on one’s responsibilities and interpretation of marriage.
A couple pursuing divorce must score below 60% — both husband and wife — out of a full 100% mark.
According to People’s Daily, a couple who applied to divorce on September 14 was rejected as the husband and wife scored 80% and 86%, respectively.
Speaking to the outlet, Wang explained that the exam aims to identify the problem and point out differences between spouses. According to the Daily Mail, he cited the couple’s situation:
“It seems the husband is addicted to gambling and rude to his spouse. He also shows a lack of responsibility to the family.”
Wang claimed that those who score above 60 have room for recovery, while those below must be at risk of ending their marriage.
The test has since been questioned by other experts, arguing that it must be grounded on science.
Zhang Chengfeng, deputy director of the National Lawyers Committee, said:
“The design of the test questions need to have a scientific basis, it is best to find a psychologist, sociology experts to jointly demonstrate, set the subject.”
In addition, Zhang believed that the only standard that determines the need for divorce is when the husband and wife lose feelings for each other.
