I was reminded of Space Cadet, too. Reading that passage again (for the first time in fifty years), I see that there were at least two tests with hidden purpose

I was reminded of Space Cadet, too. Reading that passage again (for the first time in fifty years), I see that there were at least two tests with hidden purposes. One is a simple task where the test-taker could easily cheat if he wanted to. (Our hero doesn’t.) In the next, the test-taker is asked to solve a puzzle with complex rules, and the purpose is to measure how long it takes him to figure out that there is no possible solution. Our hero doesn’t notice the hidden purpose of either test, while most readers probably do. It’s a clever narrative device for a novel aimed at clever young people. The text of that passage is below. Search for “beans”. https://raheinlein.wordpress.com/novels/space-cadet/ https://raheinlein.wordpress.com/novels/space-cadet/