#12663

Mentioned in 4 episodes

The Highest Exam

How the Gaokao Shapes China

Book •

Claire Cousineau

In 'The Highest Exam', Ruixue Jia, Hongbin Li, and Claire Cousineau present a detailed account of China's exam-centered education system.

The book describes this system as a centralized, hierarchical tournament that culminates in the Gaokao.

Drawing on empirical research and lived experience, the authors reveal how this state-managed system shapes education, labor markets, political legitimacy, and social values.

Jia and Li, leading economists who took the Gaokao and later taught at top universities, provide unique insights.

This book offers an important understanding of the Gaokao system and its impact on Chinese society.

Mentioned by

Peter Lorentzen

Peter Lawrenson

Mentioned in 4 episodes

Mentioned by

Alice Han

, a new book that digs into how this marathon exam became both a ladder of opportunity and a tool of state control in China.

China Decode: What One Big Exam Reveals about Inequality in China

Mentioned by

Kaiser Kuo

as a terrific book that opened his eyes and complicated how he thought about the college entrance exam.

The Highest Exam: Jia Ruixue and Li Hongbin on China's Gaokao and What It Reveals About Chinese Society

Recommended by

Bill Bishop

as an important book to understand the Gaokao system in China.

Sinocism Live: Understanding China's Exam-centric Education System

Mentioned by

Alex Usher

as a fascinating book mixing history, social science, and personal experience to explain the Gaokao system in China.

Inside the Gaokao: China’s Defining Test with Ruixue Jia

Mentioned by

Peter Lorentzen

as an insightful book co-authored by Reishue Jha and

Hongbin Li

.

Ruixue Jia et al., "The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China" (Harvard UP, 2025)

Mentioned by

Peter Lawrenson

as a very insightful, engaging, and well-written book about the Gaokao exam and its impact on China.

Ruixue Jia et al., "The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China" (Harvard UP, 2025)

Mentioned as the new book by the guests, Reixue Jia and

Hongbin Li

, focusing on the Gaokao exam in China.

Ruixue Jia et al., "The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China" (Harvard UP, 2025)

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