MIT Entrance Exam from 1869-1870

[karzeem]

http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/exam/

[seren6ipity]

They did not want me, so they raised their standards since 1869.

[BrandonM]

I am confident that at least 75% of students at the average US public university would score 60% or less on that test.

[karzeem → BrandonM]

A couple of the questions were surprisingly easy (e.g. find the area of a circle, given its radius), but you're right about most of it.

Interesting how on the English section, the questions were basically trivia. There wasn't much at all in that part testing skills, as opposed to specific knowledge.

[mhartl → karzeem]

The English section, in addition to being beset by trivia, also misspelled 'Bismarck'. And what the hell does Otto von Bismarck have to do with English, anyway?

[michaelneale → karzeem]

why with a piece of string and some sand - how else do you propose to calculate this "circle" you speak of ?

[sbh]

So easy my girlfriend could do it.

[ptn]

maybe erasers weren't allowed or something...