Model Perspective

Jun 5, 2026 · Industry Insights

Why the Gaokao Is More Like a Tournament Than an Exam, According to Harvard Economists

Harvard economists Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li argue that China’s Gaokao functions as a centralized hierarchical tournament, where massive family investment, steep reward gaps, and a prisoner's‑dilemma‑style over‑investment create both social mobility opportunities and substantial collective costs.