nationwide exam stress

I was in China during the whole duration of their National College Entrance Examination, something like our GCE 'A' Level examination. It was amusing (and sadistic) enough to look at other people taking exam, but to see the whole nation stressed out over it was really something.

Some parents apply leave 1 month before the exam to revise with their kids. Some kids go to hospital and breathe pure oxygen in a pressure chamber while revising (I thought only divers use that?). Some parents drag their kids to the examination venue on the day. On the exam days, some public buses were reserved to ferry candidates to exam venue. And police cars and bikes cleared the path in front. If during the exam they find the noise level too high around the exam hall, the police would set up road blockades and divert traffic. At the front gate, teachers dressed up as cheerleaders to cheer their students on...

Cheating is a criminal offense. Around the exam venue there were officials carrying electronic devices to detect any radio transmission. True enough there were people selling undergarments with transceiving device -_-. High tech cheating indeed.

On the newspaper "experts" would analyze the weather, and whether the thunder would affect the listening test, what to eat to prepare for exam, etc... and after the paper they would analyze the exam question and comment on whether it was a tough question, how to answer it... then they will report how many cases of cheating in all the provinces. On the Guangzhou Daily the topic of exam easily took up 2-3 pages from the front page.

Seriously, where else can you find this kind of exam culture?