Highest Exam

An Economist Best Book of the YearCombining personal narratives with decades of research, a vivid account of how the gaokao—China’s high-stakes college admissions test—shapes that society and influences education debates in the United States.Each year, more than ten million students across China pin their hopes on the gaokao, the nationwide college entrance exam. Unlike in the United States, where standardized tests are just one factor, in China college admission is determined entirely by gaokao performance. It is no wonder the test has become a national obsession.Drawing on extensive surveys, historical research, and economic analysis, and informed by Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li’s own experiences of the gaokao gauntlet, The Highest Exam reveals how China’s education system functions as a centralized tournament. It explains why preparation for the gaokao begins even before first grade, and how the system serves the needs of the Chinese Communist Party and drives much of the country’s economic growth. And it shows the gaokao’s far-reaching effects on China’s society, as the promise of meritocracy encourages citizens to focus on individual ability at the expense of considering socioeconomic inequalities.The gaokao is also shaping debates around education in the United States. As Chinese-American families bring the expectations of the highest exam with them, their calls for objective, transparent metrics in the education system increasingly clash with American measures of achievement.