Are you smarter than the average citizen?

How about this test?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, KS, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal. Students were given 5 hours to complete the test.

Some of that is probably localized and I have no idea the cu ft of a bushel.
But on the whole, I would probably be held back a year LOL
 
69.79/23out of 33

73.7? Forgot already... A few tricks but not too shabby, was listening to an interview and trying to read.

How about this test?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in salina, ks, usa. It was taken from the original document on file at the smokey valley genealogical society and library in salina, ks, and reprinted by the salina journal. Students were given 5 hours to complete the test.


8th grade final exam

grammar (time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb. Give principal parts of. Lie, lay and run
5. Define case, illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the fundamental rules of arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. For tare?
4. District no. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. Long at $20 per meter?
8 find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a bank check, a promissory note, and a receipt.

U. S. History (time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which u. S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of americaby columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the revolutionary war.
4. Show the territorial growth of the united states.
5. Tell what you can of the history of kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, whitney, fulton, bell, lincoln, penn, and howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (time, one hour)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, sub vocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u! '.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: Cite, site, sight, fane,
fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of north america.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, odessa, denver, manitoba, hecla, yukon, st. Helena, juan fernandez, aspinwall & orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the u.s.
7. Name all the republics of europeand give the capital of each.
8. Why is the atlantic coastcolder than the pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

that took on hell of a teacher. Kids back then had it hard our kids would crumble .i failed this test just looking at it..
 
91% some of it thanks to the Political Forum debates you know the section everyone loves to hate. :p

I guess those 8 years in College paid off too. :eek::biggrin:
 
You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

Not bad for a stupid Firefighter....:D
 
73.7? Forgot already... A few tricks but not too shabby, was listening to an interview and trying to read.

How about this test?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, KS, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal. Students were given 5 hours to complete the test.


8th GRADE FINAL EXAM

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no Modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb. Give Principal Parts of. lie, lay and run
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
8 Find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U. S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U. S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of Americaby Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, sub vocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u! '.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane,
fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall & Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europeand give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coastcolder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

If this wasnt graded on a curve I would be SOL
 
Results

You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %
Missed a couple easy ones. I blame those on the wife for asking me a thousand different questions while I was taking the quiz.
 
Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
8 Find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

I didn't think the metric system came to the US until the 60's or so. Lumber was always calculated by board feet. :confused:
 
My father sent me this 8th grade exam a few years ago and this time when I went and dug it up, I figured that I should have gotten smarter by now... No dice.:eek:

I guess kids could get by with an 8th grade education if that was what they learned. I think I might have been kept back a grade with injdinjn :p
 
Just checked a land surveyor board this test was on and 1 got 33 and 1 got 32 and 1 got 31. On there I feel dumb at 28. Or the rest aren't telling.
 
Land surveyors in this part of the world have a lot of free time. maybe they didnt rush through the quiz like most of us. I did find the link at beerleg.com
 
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