• The Test

  • By: Sylvain Neuvel
  • Narrated by: Neil Shah
  • Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,171 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Test  By  cover art

The Test

By: Sylvain Neuvel
Narrated by: Neil Shah
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.66

Buy for $11.66

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Britain, the not-too-distant future. Idir is taking the British Citizenship Test. He wants his family to belong.

Twenty-five questions to determine his fate. Twenty-five chances to impress. When the test takes an unexpected and tragic turn, Idir is handed the power of life and death.

How do you value a life when all you have is multiple choice?

©2019 Sylvain Neuvel (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Critic reviews

"Thought-provoking and disturbing. A cautionary tale illuminated with dark enlightenment." (Kirkus, starred review)

What listeners say about The Test

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    666
  • 4 Stars
    341
  • 3 Stars
    122
  • 2 Stars
    33
  • 1 Stars
    9
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    796
  • 4 Stars
    202
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    595
  • 4 Stars
    289
  • 3 Stars
    124
  • 2 Stars
    26
  • 1 Stars
    12

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shocking & engaging

Holy sh*t that was a mind f*ck. Sorry, but there really wasn't another way to put that. This book truly belongs as an episode of Black Mirror. It's shocking, it's engaging, and it really messes with you. The Test by Sylvain Neuvel is truly a novella that is going to stick with you long after reading it. I listened to the audiobook of it. The narrator (Neil Shah) was perfect. He was able to capture the characters perfectly and his accents and voices were brilliant. This audiobook was extremely well done. I was engrossed in the first minute of the audiobook and I didn't want it to end. I cannot wait to see what Sylvain Neuvel comes up with next. This was brilliant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Dystopian Britain.......

This short 2 hour and 12 min audiobook leaves the reader with a lot to ponder even after you finish the book. Very much in the same vein as a Black Mirror episode, it centers around a Iranian immigrant to Britain taking the British Citizenship test somewhere in a dystopian future, but all I'll say about the plot is that it isn't as simple as that. A great short 4 out of 5 star read for its intriguing plot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Starts off strong...then goes off the rails.

The good: likable protagonist, interesting premise, literate.
The bad: WTF? Every other character is flat, unrealistic, and unempathizable. The premise turns from interesting to disgusting to completely unbelievable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

First book I ever reviewed out of hundreds

This 2 hour book grabs and does not let go. A deeply psychological tail within a SCI fi adventure.

No rocket ships but a surprising comment about our changing relationship within our societies and our families.

Most highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not impressed

This book was way too long. I listened to it all and wished I’d stopped after the first chapter. And the ending is very anticlimactic. Don’t waste your time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Bad

I got exactly what I paid for, its part of the extended library and cost nothing. That library seems to have all the books I have tried and returned for being no good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stanford Prison Experience Explained

The Stanford Prison experiment was to ascertain how people respond to adverse circumstances as individuals pushed toward the extreme. They’re were I believe seven prisoners and seven guards and both groups randomly chosen were dehumanized to the point where the experience ended earlier than intended. This is a philosophical question that asks: what if the choices made in that experiment didn’t end until its proper conclusion? This is a darkly psychological short story that you simply can’t look away from anymore than you could look away from an oncoming disaster. If you are squeamish or easily offended? You should avoid. Nevertheless, it is concise and well written and deserves accolades for asking how would’ve the Prisoner given choice respond? Zimbardo would be equally horrified and humbled to discover his most famous expression of psychology answered in such fashion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing.

Wow! Just wow. Akin to a Black Mirror episode. Couldn’t recommend more if I tried. So good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good! Interesting concept

I read this book because I loved the Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel and was much looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this little novella. The conecpt was well executed, the characters were great. I only wished it was slightly longer, maybe it could have been 3 hours instead of 2 hours. It was great either way though. I can't wait to read whatever Sylvain Neuvel releases next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

worth a listen

it's a little underwhelming but not a bad story, pretty short, worth investing a couple of hours.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful