Keju

The Keju is a Nikara national exam that determines acceptances of students into secondary education academies.

General Information
It is notoriously difficult and has a 15% pass rate. The Keju syllabus covers the Four Noble Subjects: history, advanced mathematics, logic and the Classics. Though the Keju is said to be a strictly meritocratic institution, it is classist and heavily biased towards wealthy children who can afford years of education and preparation for the exam. It is specifically designed that way to keep poor and illiterate people in their class.

Syllabus
Its duration is twelve hours, throughout which students are not allowed to leave the exam hall.

The Keju syllabus covers the entirety of Nikan’s national history, mathematics, logic, and a predetermined canon of twenty-seven texts known as the Classics. Logic is consists of answering logical syllogisms. An example of a sample question from the Logic section is, “A scholar traveling a well-trodden road passes a pear tree. The tree is laden with fruit so heavy that the branches bend over with its weight. Yet he does not pick the fruit. Why?” The purpose of the riddle is to logic out the answer from within the question. Accordingly, the answer is: “If a tree by a well-traveled road has this much fruit, then there must be something wrong with the fruit.”

The Classics section of the exam is considered the most difficult, as it involves rote memorization of the assigned twenty-seven texts. These texts are also not written in modern script, but Old Nikara language, which has unpredictable grammar patterns and difficult pronunciation. They span poetry, philosophical treatises, and essays on statecraft written by well-known but ancient Nikara scholars.

Texts mentioned:
 * 1) Reflections on Statecraft by Mengzi
 * 2) The feeling of commiseration is the principle of benevolence. The feeling of shame and dislike is the principle of righteousness. The feeling of modesty and complaisance is the principle of propriety. And the feeling of approving and disapproving is the principle of knowledge. (Quotation found in the middle of the book.)
 * 3) Order is present in the earthly kingdom when all beings understand their place. All beings understand their place when they fulfill the roles set out for them. The fish does not attempt to fly. The polecat does not attempt to swim. Only when each being respects the heavenly order may there be peace. (Quotation found at the end of the book.)
 * 4) Annals by Zhuangzi
 * 5) The Way of Heaven operates unceasingly, and leaves no accumulation of its influence in any particular place, so that all things are brought to perfection by it… so does the Way operate, and all under the sky turn to them, and all within the seas submit to them.
 * 6) Analects by Fuzi

Cheating Prevention Protocol
Students are patted down in their undergarments to make sure no test materials are hidden anywhere. They are then dressed in a “formless blue” smock. Students are then checked for drug use: discoloration of tongue and eyes are checked for. Students are not allowed to bring anything into the exam hall or room with them. They are provided with an inkwell and writing brush in the exam hall, as well as the exam booklet.

Results
Keju scores are posted seven days after the exam. Every booklet in every province is checked, double-checked, and triple-checked.

Trivia

 * According to an interview with R. F. Kuang, the Keju is inspired by the real-life test taken in China known as Gaokao. Similar to the Keju, the Gaokao determines if a student can enter university.