I read a science fiction book anout 6 years ago that was a collection
of short stories. Isaac Asimov's name was on the cover, yet not all of
the stories were necessarily by Asimov. I can only remember one short
story and that's the one I would like to have the title of. It was
about a society in which the elderly had to take some sort of test to
be allowed to stay alive. The story focused on an old man's son who
was helping his elderly father study for this exam. It was evident
from the start his odds were not good that he would pass. That's all I
remember. (this was a short story in a sci-fi collection book of short
stories, it has a red cover)

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Clarification of Question by halliganbar44-ga on 18 Jun 2005 03:13 PDT

I would like to clarify that all I need is the name (and possibly the
author) of the one short story mentioned in my original question.

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Request for Question Clarification by hummer-ga on 18 Jun 2005 07:17 PDT

Hi halliganbar44,

I'd be surprised if the title weren't "Final Exam".  I found four
scifi short stories with that title but I was only able to rule out
one. I've copied some images below but these stories appeared in more
than one magazine so don't eliminate one just because you don't
recognize the cover. With a little luck, the author's name will ring a
bell.

Fantasy and Science Fiction  Dec 1964
"Final Exam" by Bryce Walton
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/IMAGES/fsf_6412.jpg

Fantastic Universe Science Fiction Nov 1955
"Final Exam" by Sam Merwin, Jr. 
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/IMAGES/fu_5511.jpg

Astounding Science Fiction Mar 1954
Final Exam ? Arthur Zirul
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/IMAGES/AST_5403.jpg

This one is about a group of students who travel to Mars.
Final Exam by Chad Oliver
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?ph=2&bi=98957696

If something clicks, let me know and I'll do a search to find where
it's available to purchase.
hummer

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Request for Question Clarification by hummer-ga on 18 Jun 2005 09:06 PDT

Imagination May 1952
"Final Examination" by Robert Sheckley
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/images/imagination_5205.jpg

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Clarification of Question by halliganbar44-ga on 21 Jun 2005 12:09 PDT

You guys are great, thanks a bunch!!  This is the one I wanted. (THE
GREAT SF STORIES Sixteen) You've got a new customer that will surely
come back!  thanks again -nick

The story is "The Test" by Richard Matheson, first published in The
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November, 1954. You can find
a list of reprintings at <www.isfdb.org>. The Asimov anthology you
read it in is probably "The Great SF Stories 16", edited by Isaac
Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg.

PS. The full title of the anthology seems to be "Isaac Asimov presents
the great sf stories #16 (1954)"; edited by Isaac Asimov and Martin H.
Greenberg, published by DAW Books, Inc.; first printing, May 1987. It
is a paperback with a predominantly red cover. The cover picture,
which continues around the spine to the back cover, shows what appears
to be a futuristic airport or spaceport, with workers in spacesuits,
in a world with a red sky. None of the 17 stories is by Asimov.
Richard Matheson's "The Test" is the first story in the book, and the
editors apparently thought it was from the January F&SF, but it
actually appeared in the November issue, on pages 54-69. Here are the
opening lines; ring any bells?

The night before the test, Les helped his father study in the dining
room. Jim and Tommy were asleep upstairs and, in the living room,
Terry was sewing, her face expressionless as the needle moved with a
swiftly rhythmic piercing and drawing.

Tom Parker sat very straight, his lean, vein-ribbed hands clasped
together on the table top, his pale blue eyes looking intently at his
son's lips as though it might help him to understand better.

He was eighty and this was his fourth test.

"All right," Les said, reading from the sample test Doctor Trask had
gotten them. "Repeat the following sequences of numbers."

Hummer, I'm pretty sure Matheson's "The Test" is the story your
customer wants (sorry!), but of course there could be more than one
story on the same theme, so I tried to check out your candidates. One
problem is that he read the story in an anthology, and none of them
(except the Chad Oliver) seems to have been reprinted, as far as I can
tell from a couple of internet databases. However, I found two of them
in the original magazines, and can rule them out.

Arthur Zirul's story is about some spacewrecked aliens on Rarth, who
concoct a story that Earth is being tested by the Galactic Empire.

Bryce Walton's story is about the Last Man and Woman on Earth; the
"Final Exam" is a psychological compatibility test they take to find
out if they're right for each other. (I won't spoil the story by
saying how it turns out.)

Hi nemtudom,

Good work, thanks for passing that along, I think you've nailed it. Ah
well, I still think "Final Exam" is the perfect title, but "The Test"
will do.

THE GREAT SF STORIES (16) Sixteen - 1954 IMAGE
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?ph=2&bi=73771528

The Great Science Fiction Stories 16 for sale:
http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=&title=the+great+science+fiction+stories+16&new_used=*&world_english=on&binding=*&isbn=&keywords=&minprice=&maxprice=&classic=on&submit=Begin+Search&currency=USD&mode=advanced&st=sr&ac=qr

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November, 1954 IMAGE
"The Test" by Richard Matheson
http://www.noosfere.com/showcase/IMAGES/FSF_5411.jpg

Best regards,
hummer