May 15 2007
Are you smarter than an 8th grader?
A test given to 8th graders in 1895 has been making the rounds for a while. Sample questions:
GRAMMAR (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
5. Define Case. Illustrate each Case.
ARITHMETIC (Time, one hour)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 feet deep, 10 feet long, and 3 feet wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
The entire test is here. So, are you smarter than an 8th grader? (No cheating by looking at the answers. Otherwise, I’ll give you an F and make you repeat the 8th grade.)
Does this demonstrate a shocking decline educational values in this country? I am not so sure. There are no questions on trigonometry or algebra, subjects which I studied in the 7th and 8th grade. There are no science questions. I bet an 8th grader from 1895 would be utterly lost in a modern middle school.
I’ve really been thinking about this. I’ve come to the conclusion that in the eighth grade or perhaps earlier we did have tests like this and did in fact know all the answers. The grammar/punctuations rules for instance were learned and now we just automatically apply them. The actual why is gone–and the just do it is there. I can remember those awful math story problems, too, yuk. I didn’t have algebra until 9th grade and trig in 11th. It might be interesting to speak to an actual 8th grade teacher today and find out if the things in this test are being taught now.
It would also be interesting to see an 8th grade test or two being given now. Do 8th graders even have final exams now?