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Have Mathematics Exams Become Easier?

Posted by timothy on from the not-to-me-they-haven't dept.

Coryoth writes "The BBC is reporting on a recent study in the UK that found that the difficulty of high school level math exams has declined. The study looked at mathematics from 1951 through to the present and found that, after remaining roughly constant through the 1970s and 1980s, the difficulty of high school math exams dropped precipitously starting in the early 1990s. A comparison of exams is provided in the appendix of the study. Are other countries, such as the US, noticing a similar decline in mathematics standards?" Readers with kids in school right now may have the best perspective on changes in both teaching and testing methods -- what have you noticed?

14 of 853 comments (clear)

  1. First post! by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 4, Funny

    They had to lower the standards because the kids today can't handle simple math.

    1. Re:First post! by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 5, Funny

      They had to lower the standards because the kids today can't handle simple math. Does that include concepts like, "what 'first' means?"
      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
    2. Re:First post! by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't bruise his self esteem you brute.
      Here on /. in the 21st century, every post is first post.

  2. Re:Pay teachers more by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why would somebody who has the ability to earn more than four times the national average wage go into a job that earns less than the average wage? Yep, that's damn sure one of the big reasons I'm not interested in being a teacher once I finish my graduate degree. If I wanted to deal with children telling me what to do and get paid peanuts for it I'd go back to software development. ;)
    --
    [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
  3. Re:General request! by hostyle · · Score: 5, Funny

    US of A : http://failblog.org/epic-math-fail/ ~

    --
    Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.
  4. Re:Finally by eln · · Score: 4, Funny

    Tell me about it. It's pathetic how easy math exams are these days. I mean, I really struggled in math in the second grade, and I was lucky to get average grades. Imagine my surprise when I decided to take my son's 2nd grade math test, and I got an almost perfect score! It was so easy! Clearly these kids are being spoiled by lower expectations.

  5. Then/Now by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then: Sally is twice as old as Suzy. Three years from now, the sum of their ages will be 42. How old is Sally?

    Now: Chloe has 7 apples. How many apples does Chloe have?

    Tomorrow: Write the number 5.

  6. Back on subject... by LinuxGeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    9 out of 7 math students agree, standards have not been dropped!

    --

    Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - Mark Twain
  7. Re:General request! by Kohath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Could everyone put their country in the comment, if applicable? It saves people arguing back-and-forth about the same point, when both are correct for their own country and experiences, but on opposite sides of the world Good idea. And no, we won't be doing that.
  8. USA Math 1950 - 2008 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Examples of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s.

    1. Teaching Math In 1950:

    A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
    is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

    2. Teaching Math In 1960:

    A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
    is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

    3. Teaching Math In 1970:

    A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production
    is $80. Did he make a profit?

    4. Teaching Math In 1980:

    A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is
    $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

    5. Teaching Math In 1990:

    A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and
    inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the
    preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a
    profit of $20.

    What do you think of this way of making a living?

    Topic for class participation after answering the question:
    How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes?
    (There are no wrong answers.)

    6. Teaching Math In 2008:
    Un maderero vende un camión de madera de construcción para $100. Su
    coste de producción es $80. Cuántos de su familia pueden usted alimentar
    desde los $20 beneficios?

  9. Re:Mensa and testing... by delibes · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mensa won't take SATs from later than 1/31/94 as an indication of your IQ. That says something about changing test difficulty... 1, 31, 94, ?
    x(n) = [3 * x(n-1)] + x(n-2) , where n>3
    So it's 313 next, right? Next question please :)
    --
    This is not a sig
  10. Re:Pay teachers more by bjorniac · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yep, and I'd love an olympic 100m sprinter's job where you work for 10 seconds every four years.

  11. Algebra I (US, 1968-69) by sensei+moreh · · Score: 3, Funny
    My favorite word problem from Algebra I - we had to write an equation relating their ages:

    Mary is twice as old as Jane was when Mary was as old as Jane is now. FWIW, I believe the textbook we used was first published in the early 1960s
    --
    Geology - it's not rocket science; it's rock science
  12. Amateurs by sjbe · · Score: 3, Funny

    Er, you probably won't get paid. Olympic is for amateurs. The 1980's called. They want their rules back.