Currently, there is fierce competition in the higher education sector in China. This condition is called an “examination war.” Examination education aimed at university entrance exams emphasizes intellectual education and neglects the development of basic knowledge, methods, abilities, values, etc. In this paper, I first introduce the origins of examination education, namely the Imperial Examination and examine the problems from a historical perspective. Next, I discuss the transition and alteration of the Chinese examination culture and trace the process of the creation of examination education. Then, by considering both the history and current situation of the hierarchical society, I explain why examination education has continued for many years. Finally, I analyze the causes that promote the trend of examination education from the perspectives of the cultural values of Confucianism, Dayitong and the educational values of parents and schools.