James Glanz
On a standardized test required for admission to physics graduate programs in the United States, residents of the People's Republic of China (PRC) score more than 230 points higher--out of a possible score of 990--than U.S. residents. A huge pool of highly motivated, well-trained students in the PRC is one factor, but intensive coaching is another. Widespread security breaches may also have played some role in the past.