Loser: What test did the kids face at graduation?

In context, the test (competition) revolved around who got the most applause.

Other families are more boisterous: leaping from their seats, arms waving, two-fingered whistles, moose calls, stomping the floor. It’s hard not to make comparisons, hard not to notice who gets the loudest cheer, the longest, the most outrageous, the most camera flashes. It’s like a last minute, before-you-get-outta-here, final test.