View Full Version : Civics exam
longrange1947
08-04-2012, 19:39
searched but did not find, if a repeat sorry.
Interesting exam. I scored 31 of 33 correct. If you are an old fool as myself, you will do well, as this was all taught in grade school and jr high. If you are a youngen, good luck.
Interesting is that education professionals scored 55% while the average civilian scored 49%.
Richard what is your score? :munchin
hxxp://www.isi.org/quiz.aspx?q=FE5C3B47-9675-41E0-9CF3-072BB31E2692
You need to remove the xx and replace with tt, did not like to hot link.
GratefulCitizen
08-04-2012, 19:53
32/33
Flood control levees.
Picked the right answer first and then changed my mind.
Doh!!
ZonieDiver
08-04-2012, 19:56
31 out of 33, too... but I question one I missed!
I must be old, too.
Peregrino
08-04-2012, 19:58
Very interesting. 32 of 33. Annoying that I knew the right answer for the one I got wrong but selected the "correct" answer based on the current administration's preferred COA.
Interesting test.
I got 25 out of 33 ...... but I'm not as old as some of the more "Senior" members here. :D
longrange1947
08-04-2012, 20:11
Zonie, which one did you miss? I questioned one as well and reversed one in my head.
Streck-Fu
08-04-2012, 20:28
28 out of 33...
I inverted the 2nd Am question...I blame the wine.
The Reaper
08-04-2012, 20:48
32/33.
Good test, but lots more on economics than I recall.
TR
I did lousy. 21/33 :munchin
ECUPirate09
08-04-2012, 22:24
30 of 33. Not too bad for a dumb college kid. :lifter
DIYPatriot
08-04-2012, 22:45
29/33 not too bad I guess. Very interesting quiz.
Full Civic Literacy Exam (from our 2008 survey)
Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams.
You answered 33 out of 33 correctly — 100.00 %
There are a couple of answers in the quiz which force you to think about it, but it helped having (1) developed the curriculum for and taught the subjects at the HS level and (2) having tutored HS and college students in History, Government, and Economics. At our HS, all seniors took a semester of Government and a semester of Economics; many schools here in Texas have their students take the Govt/Econ course as freshmen or sophomores, but we had it reserved for our seniors because (1) they had a better understanding of the basics of the subjects by then, (2) they had a greater interest in the topics as many were registering for the SSS (males) and to vote during their senior year, and (3) they had a greater maturity level for more aggressively debating the issues presented in the courses.
Some of the ISI programs are interesting. I found their 2011-2012 Scholarship Essay Competition for American College Students - “Are We Back on the Road to Serfdom?” - an interesting read. The attchd pdf has the winning esssays - First Place: Danielle Charette, Swarthmore; Second Place: Robert Sylvester, Catholic University; Third Place: Kevin Sullivan, Georgetown.
And so it goes...
Richard :munchin
SFOC0173
08-05-2012, 06:11
Answered 31 out of 33 correctly.
30/33 - suitably embarrassed for trying to set a speed record.
Interesting test.
My incorrect Answers
Everyone deserves the right to an objective assessment of their actual knowlege base. No sense in handicapping others who might be interested but haven't taken the test yet. Peregrino
ZonieDiver
08-05-2012, 08:14
My incorrect Answers
LR - I missed these two, also. I picked the same answer tonyz did on the XXX , et al question, mainly because it was first... but corrected myself.
I don't think the correct answer on the 'XXX' is actually any better than our incorrect one... one of the problems with MC answers to complicated concepts.
As to XXX, :D
Everyone deserves the right to an objective assessment of their actual knowlege base. No sense in handicapping others who might be interested but haven't taken the test yet. Peregrino
30/33 - suitably embarrassed for trying to set a speed record.
Interesting test.
My incorrect Answers
Everyone deserves the right to an objective assessment of their actual knowlege base. No sense in handicapping others who might be interested but haven't taken the test yet. Peregrino
My apologies.
Intent was to stimulate short discussion on some of the questions. I was wrong - too early.
greenberetTFS
08-05-2012, 11:10
31 out of 33,can't believe I missed the 2 that I did..........:rolleyes:
Big Teddy :munchin
Peregrino
08-05-2012, 11:25
My apologies.
Intent was to stimulate short discussion on some of the questions. I was wrong - too early.
Minor stuff; no need to apologize. Just trying to ensure everyone gets the benefit of an honest self-assessment. MOO - Given the average scores of the general population, it appears we need more than "short discussion" to rectify the educational deficiencies this test exposes. FWIW - I like Richard's response as to the rationale used in his school system for how/when to teach the subject material. Maybe the country would be in better shape if more educators/systems adopted a similar approach.
ZonieDiver
08-05-2012, 11:34
My apologies.
Intent was to stimulate short discussion on some of the questions. I was wrong - too early.
People HERE would cheat!!!!:D
Oops, on me, too! Lo siento mucho...
tom kelly
08-05-2012, 11:44
32 of 33. Time for 33 Questions= 12 minutes
FWIW - I like Richard's response as to the rationale used in his school system for how/when to teach the subject material. Maybe the country would be in better shape if more educators/systems adopted a similar approach.
Concur - the observations, experience and opinions of the professional educators on this board would IMO - as usual - create a discussion worthy of consideration.
There have been a number of such discussions in the past - but this civics test and the published national results - seem to me to be particularly interesting - this being an election year and all.
ZonieDiver
08-05-2012, 12:03
Concur - the observations, experience and opinions of the professional educators on this board would IMO - as usual - create a discussion worthy of consideration.
There have been a number of such discussions in the past - but this civics test and the published national results - seem to me to be particularly interesting - this being an election year and all.
I started another thread to do just that, entitled "Expansion of the 'Civics Exam' Discussion."
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39055
I started another thread to do just that, entitled "Expansion of the 'Civics Exam' Discussion."
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39055
Thank you Zonie.
Given the national results of this civics exam - and my other admittedly informal "man in the street" observations - it appears that "civics" may have been given a relatively low priority in some secondary schools.
I would hope that these (or similar) test results, when combined with some of the well publicized antics/comments pulled by some in Congress - would drive discussions by those who set academic policy in our schools. It seems past time to have some serious discussions.
29/33.
Good test, lots of guessing on the economics section for me.
Stargazer
08-06-2012, 09:47
You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %
One of the answers, I changed my initial response (should have known better).
For fun, I am going to send the link to my kids. They are at that age where they know everything... ;)
x SF med
08-06-2012, 12:11
You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %
8 minutes.... moral philosophy was one item I missed, which was just plain dumbassedness; "...Of the people..." why I said Constitution, I'll never know; and I disagree with the answer that if spending and taxes are balanced that that money is spent for each taxpayer equally...
...and I disagree with the answer that if spending and taxes are balanced that that money is spent for each taxpayer equally...
The 'better' answer is related directly to 'budget' balance vs whether there is/isn't any debt.
Richard :munchin
31/33. Missed the levee and tax/spending questions.
Pat
cant hardly
08-06-2012, 15:58
.
Peregrino
08-06-2012, 18:53
25/32
WAIT A MINUTE! Hold the presses! We've got a furriner who scored a respectable (in comparison to our general population AND our educators) 78% on an American civics test. (Well - we'll assume the economics part is universal; but still!)
I am mortally ashamed of what our education system has become - an indoctrination tool producing compliant sheeple. No - that's not pink font.
The 'better' answer is related directly to 'budget' balance vs whether there is/isn't any debt.
Richard :munchin
I grew up in another country in an international school that had mostly American students, but our focus was international. Didn't go so deep into US history or civics. Even so, I scored 28/33.
I agree with Richard on that budget/debt question....one of the ones I missed.
longrange1947
08-06-2012, 21:18
The 'better' answer is related directly to 'budget' balance vs whether there is/isn't any debt.
Richard :munchin
Agree, it was one i missed. Tthe other one I missed I just screwed up and read it backwards.
Peregrino, I agree, it is very sad that we no longer teach this stuff and now a "furrner" scored better than an average educator. :eek:
But then again, even when my kids were in school, the level of the teachers here in this area was not all that high. My daughter originally wanted to be a teacher and spent one year teaching. She left it disillusioned and became a cop. :munchin