See how well you do with these sample questions taken from the 1895 eighth-grade exam given in Salina, Kansas (seen below these questions).

Grammar

1. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
2. What are the principal parts of a verb?  Give principal parts of lie, lay, and run.
3. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the
practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic

1. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide.  How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
2. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000.  What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
3.  What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?

U.S. History

1. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
2. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.

Orthography

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
3. Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e.’  Name two exceptions under each rule.
4. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word:  bi-, dis-, mis-, pre-, semi-, post-, non-, inter-, mono-, and sub-.

Geography

1. What is climate?  Upon what does climate depend?
2. Name and describe the following:  Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
3. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
4. Why is the Atlantic coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?

(back to Society Fun)