Not a picture of a Kansas school, but a class photo from a California grade school in 1890.

In 1895, eighth graders in Salina, Kansas, had to pass a mighty tough exam to be promoted. (The full questions from the test were posted by Morehead State and linked to by Marginal Revolution.) I wonder how many adults today could pass this exam. Sure, part of the difficulty stems from the changes in language and priorities as we’ve transitioned from an agrarian economy to the Industrial Age to the Information Age. But looking at this test is a reminder that education and intelligence don’t necessarily improve just because time marches on. Some sample questions:

• Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters
• If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bu., deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
• What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per m?
• Name events connected with the following dates: 1607,  1620,  1800, 1849, 1865.
• Give four substitutes for caret ‘u’.
• Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e’. Name two exceptions under each rule.
• Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd,cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
• Describe the mountains of North America.
• Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
• Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
• Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.