Name: Class:

Examination Day
By Henry Slesar
1958

Henry Slesar (1927-2002) was an American author and playwright. He's known for his use of
irony and unexpected endings. In this short science fiction story, a boy is required by the
government to take an intelligence exam once he turns 12 years old. As you read, take notes on
how the parents describe and react to the upcoming exam.

[1] The Jordans never spoke of the exam, not

until their son, Dickie, was twelve years old. It
was on his birthday that Mrs. Jordan first
mentioned the subject in his presence, and
the anxious manner of her speech caused her
husband to answer sharply.

“Forget about it,” he said. “He’ll do all right.”

They were at the breakfast table, and the boy

looked up from his plate curiously. He was an
alert-eyed youngster with flat blond hair and a "untitled" by Phil Hearing is licensed under
quick, nervous manner. He didn’t understand CC0.
what the sudden tension was about, but he
did know that today was his birthday, and he wanted harmony above all. Somewhere in the
little apartment there were wrapped, beribboned packages waiting to be opened, and in the
tiny wall-kitchen something warm and sweet was being prepared in the automatic stove. He
wanted the day to be happy, and the moistness of his mother’s eyes, the scowl on his father’s
face, spoiled the mood of fluttering expectation with which he had greeted the morning.

“What exam?” he asked.

[5] His mother looked at the tablecloth. “It’s just a sort of Government Intelligence test they give
children at the age of twelve. You’ll be taking it next week. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You mean a test like in school?”

“Something like that,” his father said, getting up from the table. “Go and read your comics,
Dickie.” The boy rose and wandered towards that part of the living room which had been “his”
corner since infancy. He fingered the topmost comic of the stack, but seemed uninterested in
the colorful squares of fast-paced action. He wandered towards the window, and peered
gloomily at the veil of mist that shrouded1 the glass.

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 “Why did it have to rain today?” he said. “Why couldn’t it rain tomorrow?”

His father, now slumped into an armchair with the Government newspaper rattled the sheets in
vexation.2 “Because it just did, that’s all. Rain makes the grass grow.”

[10] “Why, Dad?”

“Because it does, that’s all.”

Dickie puckered his brow. “What makes it green, though? The grass?”

“Nobody knows,” his father snapped, then immediately regretted his abruptness.

Later in the day, it was birthday time again. His mother beamed as she handed over the gaily-
colored3 packages, and even his father managed a grin and a rumple-of-the-hair. He kissed his
mother and shook hands gravely with his father. Then the birthday cake was brought forth, and
the ceremonies concluded.

[15] An hour later, seated by the window, he watched the sun force its way between the clouds.

“Dad,” he said, “how far away is the sun?”

“Five thousand miles,” his father said.

Dickie sat at the breakfast table and again saw moisture in his mother’s eyes. He didn’t connect
her tears with the exam until his father suddenly brought the subject to light again.

“Well, Dickie,” he said, with a manly frown, “you’ve got an appointment today.”

[20] “I know Dad. I hope — ”

“Now, it’s nothing to worry about. Thousands of children take this test every day. The
Government wants to know how smart you are, Dickie. That’s all there is to it.”

“I get good marks in school,” he said hesitantly.

“This is different. This is a — special kind of test. They give you this stuff to drink, you see, and
then you go into a room where there’s a sort of machine — ”

1. Shroud (verb) to cover so as to hide from view

2. Vexation (noun) the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried
3. bright or cheerful in appearance

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 “What stuff to drink?” Dickie said.

[25] “It’s nothing. It tastes like peppermint. It’s just to make sure you answer the questions truthfully.
Not that the Government thinks you won’t tell the truth, but it makes sure.”

Dickie’s face showed puzzlement, and a touch of fright. He looked at his mother, and she
composed her face into a misty smile.

“Everything will be all right,” she said.

“Of course, it will,” his father agreed. “You’re a good boy, Dickie; you’ll make out fine. Then we’ll
come home and celebrate. All right?”

“Yes sir,” Dickie said.

[30] They entered the Government Educational Building fifteen minutes before the appointed hour.
They crossed the marble floors of the great pillared lobby, passed beneath an archway and
entered an automatic lift4 that brought them to the fourth floor. There was a young man
wearing an insignia-less5 tunic, seated at a polished desk in front of Room 404. He held a
clipboard in his hand, and he checked the list down to the Js and permitted the Jordans to
enter.

The room was as cold and official as a courtroom, with long benches flanking metal tables.
There were several fathers and sons already there, and a thin-lipped woman with cropped
black hair was passing out sheets of paper.

Mr. Jordan filled out the form and returned it to the clerk. Then he told Dickie: “It won’t be long
now. When they call your name, you just go through the doorway at the end of the room.” He
indicated the portal with his finger.

A concealed loudspeaker crackled and called off the first name. Dickie saw a boy leave his
father’s side reluctantly and walk slowly towards the door.

At five minutes to eleven, they called the name of Jordan.

[35] “Good luck, son,” his father said, without looking at him. “I’ll call for you when the test is over.”

Dickie walked to the door and turned the knob. The room inside was dim, and he could barely
make out the features of the grey-tunicked attendant who greeted him.

4. a term for an elevator

5. lacking a symbol or logo

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 “Sit down,” the man said softly. He indicated a high stool beside his desk. “Your name’s Richard
Jordan?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Your classification number is 600-115. Drink this, Richard.”

[40] He lifted a plastic cup from the desk and handed it to the boy. The liquid inside had the
consistency of buttermilk, tasted only vaguely of the promised peppermint. Dickie downed it
and handed the man the empty cup.

He sat in silence, feeling drowsy, while the man wrote busily on a sheet of paper. Then the
attendant looked at his watch and rose to stand only inches from Dickie’s face. He unclipped a
penlike object from the pocket of his tunic and flashed a tiny light into the boy’s eyes.

“All right,” he said. “Come with me, Richard.”

He led Dickie to the end of the room, where a single wooden armchair faced a multi-dialed
computing machine. There was a microphone on the left arm of the chair, and when the boy sat
down, he found its pinpoint head conveniently at his mouth.

“Now just relax, Richard. You’ll be asked some questions, and you think them over carefully.
Then give your answers into the microphone. The machine will take care of the rest.”

[45] “Yes, sir.”

“I’ll leave you alone now. Whenever you want to start, just say “ready” into the microphone.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man squeezed his shoulder and left.

Dickie said, “Ready.”

[50] Lights appeared on the machine, and a mechanism whirred. A voice said: “Complete this
sequence. One, four, seven, ten...’

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan were in the living room, not speaking, not even speculating.6

It was almost four o’clock when the telephone rang. The woman tried to reach it first, but her
husband was quicker.

6. Speculate (verb) to form a theory about something without any real evidence

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 “Mr. Jordan?”

The voice was clipped: a brisk, official voice.

[55] “Yes, speaking.”

“This is the Government Educational Service. Your son, Richard M Jordan, Classification 600-115
has completed the Government examination. We regret to inform you that his intelligence
quotient7 is above the Government regulation, according to Rule 84 Section 5 of the New Code.”

Across the room, the woman cried out, knowing nothing except the emotion she read on her
husband’s face.

“You may specify by telephone,” the voice droned on, “whether you wish his body interred8 by
the Government, or would you prefer a private burial place? The fee for Government burial is
ten dollars.”

"Examination Day" by Henry Slesar (c) Henry Slesar 1958. Reprinted by permission of the author's
estate.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

7. a degree or amount of a quality or characteristic

8. to place a corpse in a grave or tomb

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses a theme of the short story?

A. It's better to downplay your own intelligence.
B. The government has been known to violate people's rights.
C. High intelligence can be viewed as a dangerous thing.
D. People have higher expectations for children as they grow up.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "They were at breakfast table, and the boy looked up from his plate
curiously. He was an alert-eyed youngster with flat blond hair and a quick,
nervous manner." (Paragraph 3)
B. "'Now, it's nothing to worry about. Thousands of children take this test
every day. The Government wants to know how smart you are, Dickie.
That's all there is to it.'" (Paragraph 21)
C. "'Now just relax, Richard. You'll be asked some questions, and you think
them over carefully. Then give your answers into the microphone. The
machine will take care of the rest.'" (Paragraph 44)
D. "'We regret to inform you that his intelligence quotient is above the
Government regulation, according to Rule 84 Section 5 of the New Code.'"
(Paragraph 56)

3. What do the questions Dickie asks his father between paragraphs 4-17 reveal about
Dickie's character?
A. They suggest that Dickie doesn't usually get along with his father.
B. They show how curious Dickie is about how the world works.
C. They stress that Dickie isn't as intelligent as he claims.
D. They show how much Dickie relies on his father for simple ideas.

4. How does knowledge of the exam affect Dickie's mom and dad?
A. Dickie's mom becomes anxious and sad, while Dickie's dad becomes easily
irritated.
B. Dickie's mom and dad express doubt that their son is ready for the exam.
C. Dickie's mom and dad stress about preparing their son for the exam.
D. Dickie's mom is not bothered by the exam, while Dickie's dad is upset
about it.

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5. How does the author use irony to contribute to the story's meaning? Use details from
the story to support your answer.

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the story, Dickie is killed because his intelligence is considered too high by the
government. Why do you think the government wouldn't want people to be too
smart? How might the government's actions be motivated by fear?

2. In "Examination Day," Dickie's parents don't tell him about the exam until he is
twelve, and even then they don't tell him about the consequences. What does it
mean to be a family? Do you believe that families have to sometimes hide the truth
from each other? Why and in what circumstances? Why do you think Dickie's parents
hid the truth from him? Would telling the truth have made a difference? Explain your
answer.