BEIJING — China's Ministry of Education asked the country's colleges and universities to use off-site methods to examine applicants for art majors for their professional skills before the gaokao, the annual college entrance exam.

The move is to prevent large scale gathering and flow of people amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement released by the ministry after a teleconference Thursday.

The ministry expects 1.15 million students to apply for art majors across the country this year, according to the statement.

All the art students must also take the gaokao, which includes subjects such as Chinese, mathematics and English. Schools will select students based on both their gaokao scores and the results of the art exams.

The ministry suggests off-site methods such as reviewing the professional works submitted by the students and online interviews.

For schools and majors that must organize on-site art exams, the ministry recommended they be held after the gaokao, which is usually in early June.