For generations of Americans, the sharpened No. 2 pencil has long symbolized youth and growing up. Still a staple of back-to-school shopping lists, it helps children trace their initial letters, erase their mistakes and doodle in the margins during moments of daydreaming.
For decades, clammy hands clutched the ridged yellow wood on exam day. "Bring two sharp No. 2 pencils," generations of Americans were instructed, as they readied themselves to fill in answer bubbles on the SATs and additional standardized tests that could shape their futures. Whether Scantron devices genuinely required No. 2 markings remains open to debate, but those were nonetheless the set rules.
