{"product_id":"the-highest-exam-how-the-gaokao-shapes-china-hardcover","title":"The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRuixue Jia\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eHongbin Li\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eClaire Cousineau\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCombining personal narratives with decades of research, a vivid account of how the \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e--China's high-stakes college admissions test--shapes that society and influences education debates in the United States.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEach year, more than ten million students across China pin their hopes on the \u003ci\u003egaokao, \u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e performance. It is no wonder the test has become a national obsession. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on extensive surveys, historical research, and economic analysis, and informed by Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li's own experiences of the \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e gauntlet, \u003ci\u003eThe Highest Exam\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how China's education system functions as a centralized tournament. It explains why preparation for the \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e begins even before first grade--and why, given its importance for upward mobility, Chinese families are behaving rationally when they devote immense quantities of money and effort to acing the test. It shows how the exam system serves the needs of the Chinese Communist Party and drives much of the country's economic growth. And it examines the \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e's far-reaching effects on China's society, as the exam's promise of meritocracy encourages citizens to focus on individual ability at the expense of considering socioeconomic inequalities. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat's more, as the book makes clear, the \u003ci\u003egaokao\u003c\/i\u003e is now 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 the more holistic measures of achievement used by American schools and universities.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.93 x 8.63 x 5.93 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 09, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51964676800813,"sku":"9780674295391","price":28.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/the-highest-exam-how-the-gaokao-shapes-china-hardcover-3661857.webp?v=1775476988","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/the-highest-exam-how-the-gaokao-shapes-china-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}