Many are far from stupid and I doubt that the majority of FReepers (including you) could pass it.
If you want a test just use the ACT or SAT scores which will be disastrous enough.
So the next day I dropped by the class, apologized about having a son who was so serious about his grades and showed her the problem. I assumed she would laugh, mark it correct and change the grade.
That's not what happened. She said he got it wrong. I did the math and said, 'See, it's right'... She pulled out the teachers copy of the math book and showed me the answers in the back of the book. The publisher had a misprint... so I said 'that happens - and the answer in the back of the book was wrong. She got angry and asked if I thought I was smarter than the people who wrote the book. At that moment knew she didn't know how to do simple math.
I also knew she would take this out on my son because she was not only stupid, she was mean... and I backed off. I'm not even going into all the notes sent home to me - and other parents - with massive spelling errors... etc.
My position from that time forward is that teaching should be a full time position, (40 hours a week) and teachers should be paid like they're professionals and BE professionals. Now the professions is a sinecure for people too lazy or stupid to work in real jobs. And yes, I have known heroic teachers who not only teach but buy supplies out of their own money and work many more hours than they're paid for ... but I also know they're the exception and many more teachers haven't even updated their tests materials in 15 years.
We don't see this one the same way. The 'teachers' of today are the folks who would have been clerking in a dime store in my day... we're pulling in the bottom of the barrel and our kids deserve better.
Most of the 'teachers' we have today are over-paid ... waaaaaaaay overpaid. Fire most of 'em and change the system.