BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhuanet) -- As the annual college entrance examination approaches, some high school students in Beijing are turning to "fortunetellers" to help them get prepared for the exam, widely deemed as the most important test in their student careers.

These "fortunetellers" are companies that offer solutions about selecting universities and majors, an emerging business in the capital city in recent years.

They base the solutions on students' scores in the two simulation college entrance examinations and the results of questionnaires.

The college entrance examination is held on June 7, 8 and 9 every year in China, before which schools organize simulation exams. In Beijing, students must make up their minds which universities and majors to choose and submit their choices between the simulation exams and the formal one.

This year, about 73,400 students in Beijing will attend the exam, according to Beijing Education Examinations Authority.

These companies charge handsome prices for their services, with the highest price for a solution costing up to 20,000 yuan ($3,100).

"Based on the students' scores in the simulation exams and analysis of their overall conditions, we'll get some ideas about their potential and foresee their performance in the final exam. In addition to our continuous research on enrollment policies of universities, we can come up with a solution for students," said a consultant from Lighthouse Education who gave her name as Shen.

The company's consulting services cost from 1,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan.

Despite the high price, Shen said all the consultants at her company receive three or four students every day during the first half of May, while the company has at least five consultants offering such services.

Although the company's homepage listed many examples of students who successfully entered distinguished universities with the company's help, Shen said their service cannot guarantee that each client will enter the universities listed as their preference.

"There is risk in everything, and our job is to help students reduce risks," she said.

"No one can guarantee our clients will enter ideal universities or majors. Our job is to help them raise the success rate," said customer service specialist No 1003 of the Jiqiao Gaokao Research Center in response to China Daily reporter's inquiry. The center declined to speak further.

The specialist did not reveal the success rate of the center's clients, and said only that the rate can reach 50 percent.

"The charges range from 6,800 yuan to 19,800 yuan, and our director will serve the highest price payer. We have received more than 300 students in May," the specialist said.

Although some students and teachers say such consultation may help students know themselves and universities better, the majority of them reached by China Daily said they would not pay for the service, adding that teachers can play the role well enough to help students choose universities and majors.

"I would not buy such services because I know my interests well and our teachers will give us guidelines," said Zeng Ran, a student from Beijing Taipinglu High School.

Ma Shiqing, a student in University of Science and Technology Beijing, once filled out a questionnaire by a consulting firm at the cost of 200 yuan when he was in high school.

"The consultation wasn't of much value to me. The result suggested I choose majors like advertising, textiles and urban planning, but I chose finance in the end. I think students should listen more to teachers and family members," he said.

Some educators say students and their parents are buying the service just to "calm their nerves".

"It is understandable that some students and their families pay such high prices for the solution because the college entrance examination is so important to them, but it would be better for them to seek advice from teachers and enrollment workers from universities," said Wei Guihong, a student recruiter for Nanjing University.

"They should also follow their heart to choose a major that they are really interested in, rather than pick a popular one recommended by consulting firms," she added.