I'm Mr. Beat, but am I smarter than an 8th grader?
(sings) Am I smarter than an 8th grader?
A few years ago, I saw stories floating around the internet about how an 8th grade graduation test from 1895 was so difficult that most adults today would not be able to pass it.
These stories were essentially saying we are all so dumb today that and they were so smart back then, right?
Mike Sheely: The exam took five hours to complete.
This gives the saying "he only has an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?
And it also shows how poor
our education system has become.
The logic also being that my grandparents, who stopped going to school after 8th grade, actually got more schooling than these darn kids today do. Those darn kids today.
But hold on...let’s take a look at this test. How difficult WAS it?
Hey look, it was supposedly for 8th graders in Salina, Kansas...not too far from where I live.
You know what? I think I'm just gonna take this test.
I’m a fairly smart guy. I have a couple bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree.
Ok, maybe that makes me NOT smart. But regardless, I think I can handle this thing, ok.
Let's take a look at this.
Yeah
And for the record, I did not study for this thing ahead of time, ok?
Five hours.
Geez. I think I'm gonna take this thing to school. Let's go.
Fun fact. In 1895,
most teenagers didn't go to high school. It was a relatively new thing.
So 8th grade was it. Grammar.
1 hour. Ok, here we go.
(music playing)
Ok, let's get this thing graded.
Ok, teacher. Mrs. Beat: Ok
Mr. Beat: I completed the test. Mrs. Beat: alright.
It's probably gonna take me a minute.
Mr. Beat: Ok, thank you
Mrs. Beat: ok
(music playing)
Mr. Beat: Alright, how'd I do?
Mrs. Beat: we have some news for you
It took over an hour to grade this test.
Mr. Beat: thank you for doing this
Mrs. Beat: you got 105.5 out of
Mr. Beat: YAS!
Mrs. Beat: 172 possible points
Mr. Beat: No, yeah that was bad. (laughs)
Mrs. Beat: Which makes it a 61%.
Mr. Beat: (gasps) I passed!
Mrs. Beat: D Mr.Beat: I can't believe I passed!
Mr. Beat: Oh my gosh. Holy crap. I barely passed.
I sound like some of my students. 60%!
I got, on the history section I got 29 out of 36.
Mrs. Beat: yeah
Mr. Beat: so, and on the geography section. Mrs. Beat: you did pretty well on that one
Mr. Beat: 27 out of 32, so
Mrs. Beat: This is the one that you did not do very well.
Oh, orthography was 24 out of 63. (laughs)
Yeah, for starters. I don't even know what orthography means, so. Mrs. Beat: It's like speech
Mr. Beat: phonics? Mrs. Beat: yeah
Mr. Beat: Yeah, I figured something like that
So yeah, this test was definitely difficult. Uh
The fact that
I felt surprised and relieved
that I passed it with a 61%. That tells you a lot here.
Looking at the test though
some of these questions are just so random.
and how am I supposed to know some of these terms like for example
the arithmetic for number 9 it says
What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
I don't even know one Rod, let alone 640 rods.
For the U.S. history part, it wanted me to talk about Howe.
And I talked about Howe the general.
For the geography section it said name and describe the following:
Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena,
For Yukon, they were actually wanting the river?
but I described Yukon Territory, so it's like
it was also very vague.
So, a few things about this test. First of all,
we are not entirely sure that this test was an 8th grade graduation test.
Based on the evidence, it’s just not clear. Even the Salina Journal, who first published the test back in 1996, wasn’t completely sure about it.
Based on some of the language in the test, it might have been intended for adults...presumably either newly graduated teachers or applicants to teacher’s college.
The Salina Journal also reported that if 8th graders DID take this test, only about 25% of them passed it.
And finally, this is just a horrible test.
Ask any teacher. It doesn't tell you how intelligent you are.
It's just memorization of certain facts
many of which are useless.
and sure some of the questions on here are skills-based
but many of those skills are outdated and we have machines that do those skills now.
The only reason why students are able to pass tests, is because they study right before they take them and forget it all afterward.
Simply put, even if this test was actually a legit 8th grade graduation test in 1895, it would NOT be proof that 8th graders back then were smarter than 8th graders now.
In fact, I would argue the opposite.
8th graders today are MUCH smarter than 8th graders back then.
No offense to 8th graders who lived in 1895.
So what do I think about this test? Here's what I think about this test. (rips up test) Alright?
Thanks to long-time Patreon supporter John Johnson for suggestion the topic for this video.
It was actually kinda fun to take that test, so thanks for the suggestion.
Also, if you want YOUR video topic suggestion heard
donate at least $15 a month on Patreon
That's the Grover Cleveland level. The Patreon link is in the description.
Thank you so much for watching.