Level Test.
“Haven’t heard that in a while.”
With his perfect memory, Hyunsoo could recall everything related the moment Jessie mentioned the level test.
All students at Johannes High School took the level test at the beginning of the fall semester.
Based on the results of the level test, students were divided into different levels for their classes. The elite scholarship students were at the highest level, often taking classes in small groups.
If a student did exceptionally well on the test, some subjects were automatically credited. Many elite scholarship students passed regular classes with tests and could use that time to study their major subjects, supported by the school.
“In the first year, my overall grades were excellent, but my English was lacking.”
Language is closely tied to culture, so it took about ten more years to reach native-level English proficiency.
At 17, he remembered being less confident in English, performing worse than his actual ability.
“But for an exchange student, you’re quite fluent in conversation?”
Jessie asked Hyunsoo suddenly while guiding him.
“Did you study during the break?”
She seemed to be hoping.
Given the importance of the level test, many students studied intensively during the break.
If Hyunsoo had worked on his weaknesses, her duties as his mentor would be significantly reduced.
“Uh, I didn’t study separately.”
“What? Then what did you do? Volunteer work? Or did you intern somewhere?”
Extracurricular activities that add points when applying to universities. Many students used the three-month summer break to build their résumés.
“No. I just did all the things I’ve been wanting to do all at once.”
“…….”
She felt annoyed at Hyunsoo’s nonchalant response.
“What is he trying to do?”
The elite spot Hyunsoo occupied was a direct ticket to the upper class. The level of education they received was different, and the connections they made were unparalleled in the West.
They had been rigorously preparing since childhood with early education and murderous schedules during breaks to earn that title.
But Hyunsoo, who was almost demoted, seemed overly relaxed, which was disappointing.
“I’m the fool for expecting anything.”
Eventually, they arrived at the testing center without speaking another word.
“You’ve been to the testing center many times, right?”
Jessie guided him in a very business-like tone.
“You already took it last year, so you know. Log in with your student ID on the computer and open the level test application. As you’ll see, this test is the same as the one in the first year.”
“……Really?”
In fact, this was unfamiliar to Hyunsoo, who originally dropped out around this time. The second-year level test was the same as the first-year level test?
“Yes, it’s the same for all grades. Anyway, you start at the first-year level, and the test evolves according to your level. The more you get right, the harder the questions become, and the more you get wrong, the easier they become. So the final grade is curved considering the difficulty of the questions and the accuracy rate.”
“Ah, that’s nice.”
Jessie frowned again, feeling that Hyunsoo wasn’t taking it seriously.
“By the way, the level required for second-year students is naturally higher than in the first year. In the first year, it’s a test taken right after admission, but now you’ve studied at our school for a year. The level has to be different.”
“Oh, I should work hard so I don’t fall behind my juniors.”
“Aren’t you taking this too lightly? This one test determines your high school life. Take it more seriously.”
For the first time, Hyunsoo looked Jessie straight in the eyes.
“I’m serious though?”
“……Forget it. Just know this. The record for the second-year level test is 76 points. That score belongs to Ivan, who’s now a third-year. The elite average is in the high 50s, and regular students are in the 40s, so keep that in mind.”
Even though she didn’t like Hyunsoo, Jessie didn’t forget her duties. The test time was a total of four hours. She informed him that he could take short bathroom breaks.
“Well, good luck on the test. I’ll come back before you go home. Depending on the test results, the classes you can take will differ, and you have to register your timetable by tonight, so make sure you wait. If you finish the test before I get back, find me in the lounge.”
Although she said that, Jessie thought she would find Hyunsoo first.
“What? Couldn’t find the bathroom?”
Jessie was startled to see Hyunsoo approaching her in the lounge while she was doing her assignments.
It had only been an hour since he started the level test.
Given the nature of the test, the four hours were usually not enough. She could only think he came to find the bathroom.
“No, I finished. Can we set the timetable now?”
Jessie was speechless at the sight of Hyunsoo’s bright face.
‘This guy?’
She could only conclude that he had taken the test carelessly because he found it bothersome.
“Didn’t I tell you? If you don’t meet the level test standards, you’ll be demoted to a regular student and might even have to repeat the year. Do you know how many people transfer schools out of embarrassment…?”
As Jessie checked the level test results, she doubted her eyes.
“What is this…?”
Jessie had officially taken the level test three times.
Once in the first year, once in the second year, and now once more as a third-year.
The shock of the first level test was still vivid.
She had received education that matched the standards of the Goldstein family until she graduated middle school, and as a perfectionist, she took it for granted to get perfect scores.
“But I was completely shattered from the first day of admission.”
The level test at Johannes High School, the highest-ranked school in the U.S., tested not only her intellectual level but also her self-esteem.
-70 points.
After struggling for four hours, the score she received caused her to stop eating and focus solely on studying.
The fact that she ranked in the top 10 out of tens of thousands who had taken the level test meant nothing.
Receiving a grade equivalent to a C- became a trauma.
“There are no losers in the Goldstein family.”
Jessie personally received permission from the board to take the level test once every semester, even though it was normally taken only once a year.
So, including the tests she took until yesterday, she had taken it five times, and each time her mental state was on edge.
“After doing everything I could, my score yesterday was 81 points.”
A high score that ranked second among all high school grades combined.
Of course, Jessie wasn’t satisfied. She had to surpass Ivan and become number one… Her final goal was to somehow reach the 90s before graduation.
But the Asian boy in front of her now had made all her efforts seem trivial.
“100 points?”
Jessie refreshed the score query site several times.
Although she couldn’t steal a peek at the problems with her access rights, the perfect score was certain.
If a student attempted to cheat in any way, the application’s AI would catch it, but there were no such warnings.
-Hyun Lee
English 100%
Mathematics 100%
Science 100%
“Is such a score even possible?”
Given that she was the person who had taken the level test the most, the result was even harder to believe.
The person who received such a monstrous score, however, looked unfazed.
“……How was the test?”
“Well, as you said, it started at the first-year level, and there were many similar problems to last year.”
“But it must have gotten harder soon after? Didn’t you encounter college-level questions later?”
“Did I? It did get more interesting. It felt good to stimulate my brain after a long time.”
“…….”
The more they talked, the more complex Jessie’s expression became.
“Interesting? The level test?”
After a moment of hesitation, Jessie recalled a problem from the level test she took yesterday that was so difficult she couldn’t even start solving it.
“Then can you take a look at this? I couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t solve this problem since yesterday.”
“Sure.”
Hyunsoo’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“……This is the problem.”
-Let a and b be positive integers such that ab+1 divides……. Show that this is the square of an integer.
“Hoho.”
Hyunsoo was impressed as he looked at the problem.
“You must study quite a bit.”
He had studied a lot in his life, and with his perfect memory, he could accurately recall everything he had learned. The level test wasn’t that difficult.
In fact, the problems in the last stages of the level test were quite interesting to him.
But that was only because of his current state… Objectively, these problems weren’t something high school students could typically solve.
“Does she have this level of skill?”
Although it wasn’t up to the final stages he reached, Jessie holding onto a problem of this difficulty made her look different to Hyunsoo.
The problem seemed easy at first glance, but when you tried to solve it, it was hard to know where to start.
“This should do it.”
Hyunsoo immediately came up with the solution as he read the problem.
Having solved similar problems in the past, he didn’t need to think much and just transferred it to the iPad.
It took him a total of one minute to solve the problem.
“I’m done.”
“What, are you joking?”
Jessie looked displeased at the answer written so simply and concisely.
Even the short answer was written so beautifully it could be framed.
For her, it took a lot of courage to ask a junior for help, and it felt like he was taking it lightly.
“Joking? What joke?”
Hyunsoo asked back, seemingly unable to understand her.
Only then did Jessie look at the answer more seriously.
“Could it be?”
Her face gradually filled with astonishment.
It took her ten minutes just to interpret the solution.
She finally understood.
Hyunsoo had solved the problem with the minimum number of steps.
So many steps were implied that she didn’t notice it at first.
Jessie couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
“……How much studying does one have to do to solve problems like this?”
“Well? I think reading a lot of books helped.”
Her ears perked up.
“Books? Are you talking about textbooks? Do you have any good problem books?”
“Not problem books. Focusing solely on explaining formulas and solving problems is inefficient. It’s better to read books that develop logical thinking, so you can understand most problems without memorizing formulas or solving many problems.”
Jessie looked at Hyunsoo as if he were a monster. Isn’t learning concepts from textbooks and solving many problems the fastest way to learn math?
He was saying that developing logical thinking was the better approach to solving various problems easily.
“Is he serious?”
Jessie couldn’t help but ask.
“For example, if I read certain books, I can solve problems like this easily?”
“Of course. The core books are those 30, but it helps if you read related books, about 100 in total. Do you have time? I can list them all now.”
“……Oh, I forgot. We were supposed to set your timetable, right?”
Jessie quickly dismissed his words and pulled up Hyunsoo’s profile.
Once the level test scores were linked, the list of required subjects for Hyunsoo appeared.
“Huh?”
But there was a problem.
“Why is this happening?”
No matter how many times she repeated the process, it was the same.
-Required Subjects: 0
Usually, the level test results customized the required subjects for graduation according to the student’s level, but Hyunsoo had none.
