Free Republic

The Pentagon is planning to alter part of its military entrance exam, making it easier for potential recruits to join the U.S. armed forces, according to a new report.On Friday, Military.com reported that the Defense Department will allow potential recruits to use a calculator on the agency’s entrance exam. Known as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the test “gauges academic aptitude and dictates what jobs in the military, if any, they are qualified for,” according to the outlet. It remains unclear when the change to the ASVAB will go into effect.“We are taking a systematic approach, which will assess...

States are realizing there is a much-needed alternative to today’s watered-down, useless standardized tests: the Classic Learning Test.The days of needing flashcards to study SAT vocabulary words to get into college are over — but not just because more and more schools have decided to jettison standardized testing entirely. Today’s SAT is a shadow of its former self, having been dumbed down and manipulated over the past several decades to serve political ends. In its current form, the test has outlived its usefulness.In fact, Florida lawmakers have affirmed as much in a recent education bill that passed the Florida House...

Abandoning a legal battle hard-fought by his predecessor, Mayor de Blasio on Tuesday agreed to have the city shell out more than $100 million to a group of 1,500 minority firefighter applicants who sued over FDNY entrance exams that were found to be biased. De Blasio made no secret of his desire to settle the controversial case upon taking office in January and the Vulcan Society and its lawyers took full advantage, scoring $98 million out of a $128 million cap on the city’s financial exposure. The generous settlement amount doesn’t include at least $3.7 million more the city will...

The following 1869 Harvard entrance exam was supposed to be a breeze, believe it or not (via GOOD). In those days colleges had to go out of their way to attract students. Harvard pointed out in a newspaper ad that 185 of 210 candidates passed the entrance test and were accepted in the previous year. But those candidates had the benefit of a focused prep school education. You will find this exam, which ranges from geography to geometry to Latin, extremely difficult. Take a stab at the answers in the comment section.