Sunday, March 20, 2011

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 1895

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas. I'm told it was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, and reprinted by the Salina Journal. Could you pass this test? It'll make you think twice about your grandparent's 8th grade education...

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie’, ‘play’ and ‘run’.
5. Define case; illustrate each case.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school 7 months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
7. What is the cost of 40 boards -12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

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.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn and Howe?

Orthography (Time, one hour) (Do we even know what Orthography is?)

2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u’.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e’. Name two exceptions under each rule.
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?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.

So the exam took 5 hours to complete. Whew! I don't remember... does the high school ACT or SAT take that long?

So what do you think of this exam? Is this information still relevant today?

I gotta admit. I consider myself well educated but I couldn't pass this test. Wish I could though!