Are you smarter than a Harvard kid?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:48 am

USA Weekend magazine, this morning, referred to a quiz on American History which has been administered to various college students and so forth, to see how badly education has been failing us.

Harvard students scored, on average, about 69%

The average for people taking it, via the webpage, is 68%, although we don't really know whether they cheat or not, do we?

Jeff and I made this our Saturday morning entertainment, and it probably took us a good 45 minutes, what with haggling over some of the answers. Olivia, our 12th grader, got home from pole-vaulting practice in time to weigh in on some of the last 25% of the questions, most of which pertained more to economics than history.

Here's the link:
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/

Our score is based upon the joint effort of the (mostly) 2 of us, but for the most part we were in agreement on our answer choices.

Still, I am disappointed to report, we scored 76.67%
I was planning to score at least 90%.

As Olivia pointed out, if we had gone with one of her choices toward the end we would have come closer to a B.

The Chiff, as a whole, will kick our bunskies, I've no doubt.
I wait, without bated breath.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:00 am

The test gave me a headache, though I got through it in about 12 minutes. I was very sure on over half the answers, not even bother to read the other choices, if I was that sure. On maybe five of the questions, I guessed, but was able to eliminate some of the choices.

You answered 57 out of 60 correctly — 95.00 %

I know my history.

Those that take the test are likely like Em, those that have a fair knowledge of history. If given to the average high school senior, I would guess the score would be in 30s, or just a bit higher than throwing darts (20%).

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:50 am

33 out of 60 = 55% What can I say? I am a fund of knowledge on American history and economics.

djm

Ronbo · Post by **Ronbo** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:29 am

djm wrote:33 out of 50 = 55% What can I say? I am a fund of knowledge on American history and economics.

djm

Says you would make a good harvard student.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:05 pm

60%. Not bad fer a furriner.

Boody · Post by **Boody** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:16 pm

56 out of 60, 93.33% with no cheating. Not bad for a college freshman, but I must admit I was hoping for 100%.
The ones I missed where those stupid economics ones at the end

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:36 pm

I got 47 out of 60. I took about 15 minutes to take the test. What irritates me is that on five of the missed questions, I had the right answer, then second guessed myself and changed my answer.

Scored-78.33% so I guess I'm happy with that(not really) but I did beat the average score of 67.8%

I've got to send this to a couple of friends- one's working on her doctorate in history, the other is a Harvard alumni who left private practice to be a lawyer for the downtrodden. I'll be curious as to how they do...

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:01 pm

cowtime wrote:...but I did beat the average score of 67.8%

One thing to consider, as far as that average score goes, is that it is a tally of people taking the quiz online, and therefore includes anyone who finds having Google and Wikipedia close at hand to be a temptation he/she can't resist.
Therefore it is likely that a true average might be lower.
At least that's what I like to tell myself.

That's why I like to hang around here. I continue to hope it will raise my game a notch or two.

Ronbo · Post by **Ronbo** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:21 pm

emmline wrote:
cowtime wrote:...but I did beat the average score of 67.8%
One thing to consider, as far as that average score goes, is that it is a tally of people taking the quiz online, and therefore includes anyone who finds having Google and Wikipedia close at hand to be a temptation he/she can't resist.
Therefore it is likely that a true average might be lower.
At least that's what I like to tell myself.

That's why I like to hang around here. I continue to hope it will raise my game a notch or two.

"But what's botherin you is the nature of your game" Adaptation of old Stones lyrics.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:44 pm

Ronbo wrote:
emmline wrote:
cowtime wrote:...but I did beat the average score of 67.8%
One thing to consider, as far as that average score goes, is that it is a tally of people taking the quiz online, and therefore includes anyone who finds having Google and Wikipedia close at hand to be a temptation he/she can't resist.
Therefore it is likely that a true average might be lower.
At least that's what I like to tell myself.

That's why I like to hang around here. I continue to hope it will raise my game a notch or two.
"But what's botherin you is the nature of your game" Adaptation of old Stones lyrics.

Hey, you. Get offa my cloud.
(it's the cloud for the historically deficient.)

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:20 pm

80%. With no cheatin', lyin', or stealin'.

BigDavy · Post by **BigDavy** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:26 pm

73.33%

Not bad for a poor ignorant Scot.

David

chas · Post by **chas** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:46 pm

85%. And I consider my knowledge of US history (and history in general) to be woefully inadequate.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:50 pm

93.33%

Best wishes,
Jerry

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:11 pm

Without taking the quiz, I can say that I am neither smarter nor less smart than a Harvard kid.

But my score was 91.67%.