High‐stakes examinations and educational inequality: Evidence from transitory exposure to air pollution
研究发现考试期间暂时性空气污染暴露会损害认知表现，并通过最低分数线政策永久降低学生进入研究生院的机会，尤其对边缘学生影响更大，加剧了教育不平等。
Abstract We study the impact of transitory random disturbances to cognitive performance and a minimum‐passing‐score policy on access to graduate education among students who took a series of high‐stakes exams. Exploiting thermal inversions and individual fixed effects, we document significant adverse cognitive effects of transitory exposure to air pollution during the exam. The harmful cognitive effects permanently reduce students' chances of getting into graduate school, especially for marginal students who scored just below the cutoff score. Marginal students would be less affected by random disturbances and have more equal access to graduate education had such an exam policy not been adopted.