A top student in China was rejected by a university after his history of cat abuse was exposed, reported Chinese media outlets.

The student, who is known only as Mr Xu in Chinese media reports, failed to enter the School of Physics at Nanjing University in the eastern province of Jiangsu, despite receiving the highest score in a graduate school entrance test.

He topped his cohort with 507 points but did not pass the second examination administered by the school, according to a report by the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald on April 3.

The second exam also tested candidates’ moral and political qualifications. Those who fail this will not be admitted to the school, according to a document posted on the School of Physics’ website by the university on March 24.

An official told the news outlet that the school received multiple complaints about Mr Xu’s acts of cat abuse, which may have caused his rejection by the university.

Mr Xu was seen in videos posted on social media in March abusing and killing cats at his hostel in Southeast University in Nanjing, reported South China Morning Post.

In a video posted online, Mr Xu appears to have put a cat into a bucket before stepping on its head.

After the videos were circulated online, the police in Nanjing launched an investigation and Mr Xu apologised for his actions.

“We spoke to the parents and Xu wrote a letter of repentance, promising that such an incident would not happen again,” the police said.