So You Want to Go to High School (in 1905)

On September 13 of this year, the Pilot News published an article entitled

So You Want to Go to High School (in 1917), highlighting the arithmetic section of the state examination that Indiana students were required to take and pass to enter high school. Since then, an even older examination, written in 1904, has been discovered that includes more sections of questions for students to answer than the 1917 version: Reading, arithmetic, Physiology, Music, Grammar, Geography, and History. as noted in the recent article, for many Indiana students in the early years of our state, completing eighth grade was the culmination of their education. If they intended to continue into high school or just wanted a graduation certificate in 1905, they were required to take the test. The instructions for and notice to applicants are almost the same as those for 1917 students.

Questions for Examination Of Pupils Completing Course of Study in the “Common Branches”

Prepared by the following Committee of the County Superintendents’ association, 1904:

SUPERINTENDENTS: arthur Deamer, Chairman, Fulton County; W. E. Stipp, Lawrence County; J. M. Neet, Parke County; Elmer G. Bunnell, Laporte County; John Clerkin, Jennings County; Guy M. Wilson, Hendricks County, Geo. J. Richman, Hancock County.

To Be Held the Third Saturday in april, 1905.

INSTRUCTIONS.---PUPILS need not copy the questions; but must number each answer to correspond with the question, and must write the manuscript in ink.

When you are asked to answer “any six” out of eight or ten questions respectively, stop when you have answered the number required, To answer more is a loss of time, and may lower your grade, as all mistakes will be marked off.

Writing.---the penmanship shown in the entire manuscript of the examination will be graded on a scale of 100 per cent; with reference to legibility (50%), regularity of form (30%), and neatness (20%). The handwriting of each pupil will be considered in itself, rather than with reference to standard models.

Spelling.---the orthography of the entire manuscript will be graded on a scale of 100%, and 1% will be deducted for each word incorrectly written.

The County Superintendent will grade the manuscripts, and certificates of graduation will be issued to each applicant who attains a general average of 75%, not falling below 60% in any subject.

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS.---ON the first white page of your manuscript answer these requests:

1. Give your name or number.

2. Give your age.

3. Give number of your school district.

4. Give your teacher’s name.

5. Give your trustee’s name.

6. Give the name of your township.

7. Give your post office.

8. Give place of birth.

9. Give date of birth.

10. Give number of years you have attended school.

Here are questions for three of the seven sections of the examination.

(1) Reading

1. Who was Victor Hugo?

2. Give something of Hugo’s description of the battle of Waterloo.

3. Name a work of Emerson.

4. Compare and contrast Longfellow and Tennyson as authors.

5. Tell the complete story in one of Longfellow’s poems.

6. Explain the meaning of Tennyson’s short poem, Crossing the Bar.

7. What life lessons are See GO A12