Story Identification : student gets perfect score, fake helicopter plans, Bob Dylan song

Question

I'm trying to identify a Dystopian book which I read in the 80's or 90's. I only have 3 vague memories, but it still haunts me to this day. If anyone can identify the book, I would be over the moon!

Near the beginning, it had 18 years old students crowding around a notice board to receive their scores, which would determine their position as adults. The main protagonist was not included in the scores. It transpired that he had received a perfect score, and so was earmarked for special things. I think this was governing or political position.

Later, there was an episode of fake helicopter plans to test the protagonist. I think he was reading a book in the library, and found paper containing the blueprints of an advanced helicopter. I think that he decided to destroy the plans.

The last thing I remember was the presence of a Bob Dylan ballade. The Ballade of St.Jude or something like that. This was used as a link to past times, and a wish to return to simpler lives.

Thanks in advance, and I hope that's enough information for someone to identify the book - I would love to read it again!

Answer 1

Futuretrack 5 by Robert Westall. It was published in 1983.

The protagonist is Henry Kitson and the scene with the exam results on the noticeboard is:

My eyes ran further and further. Panic gripped my guts. My name wasn’t above the pass line. I checked again. A third time. It was insane… My eye dived gingerly below the pass line. Deeper and deeper, through kids I could’ve eaten for breakfast, three at a time.

My name wasn’t below the pass line either. I went on reading, above, below, above, below. Nothing. A computer hiccup. I’d have somebody’s guts for garters…

Then I saw at the bottom: “Kitson unclassified. Report to Headmaster at nine.”

Then when Kitson reports to the headmaster:

He was also trying to needle me. I studied at leisure his white, newly washed hair. The heavy tweed suit, creamy like oatmeal. The red-veined cheeks, like a healthy, elderly farmer’s. The polished old brogues sticking through the desk, shiny as conkers. I’d never realised how much I’d hated him.

He glanced up suddenly and caught my look; returned it with interest.

“Hundred percent, Kitson. Well, you’ve done it at last.”

The Bob Dylan track is I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine:

“Would you like a game of chess?” asked Laura. I could almost imagine sympathy in her voice. But that was the slippery slope Idris had slid down.

“Not tonight, Laura.” I was too edgy. And she was far too good at chess—usually ended up coaching me so hard she was literally playing against herself.

“What would you like?”

“Play me a Bob Dylan tape. ‘I dreamed I saw St. Augustine.’” Suddenly I was afraid, sick of being a Tech, of the Centre, of the way Techs endlessly pulled each other down. I wanted to be an Est again; at college we’d played that antique tape so much we wore it out.

This was a lucky Google. I search for "perfect score" "science fiction" site:goodreads.com/book/show/ and Futuretrack 5 just happened to catch my eye.