Ting Sheng-mao was born in Shanghai in 1944 and graduated from high school there in 1962. He recalled, "At that time, the college entrance examination was such in name only.
丁勝懋教授民國卅三年出生於上海，小學到高中，一直都在當地念書，一九六二年高中畢業，投考大學。他說：「當時大陸上的入學考試，根本名不副實，往往高幹或首長的子弟，成績很差，走後門就能鐵定被『錄取』，然而真正優秀的青年，卻往往不得其門而入。