This copy of the Eighth Grade Exam for Bullitt County Schools in 1912 was donated to the museum. We thought you might like to see what the test looked like a hundred years ago. Obviously it tested some things that were more relevant at that time than now, and it should not be used to compare student knowledge then and now. http://www.bullittcountyhistory.com/bchistory/schoolexam1912.html
Note that there are several typesetting mistakes on the test including a mistake in the spelling list. The word "eneeavor" should be "endeavor." This version of the exam was probably a master version given out to the schools (note that the spelling words wouldn’t be written on a test.) The museum has been told that the exam was handed out in a scroll form (that is why the paper is long.) The typos would have been corrected simply by contacting the teachers and telling them to mark their copies accordingly, much like would be done today. And there might not be quite as many typos as you think; "Serbia" for example was indeed spelled "Servia" back then.
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting observation.
DeleteIn my day, I did take the normal math classes. In Calculus you did a problem showing all steps. My daughter in college is taking her calculus final. I really could not help her as I would work the problem manually, she used the approved TI calculator. My answer correct, her's wrong. One of her inputs was incorrect. We finally found the problem after 20 minutes. This is what math has become.
Tried the test knew most of the answers, wonder how kids today would do.