Today I took a test which I should have gotten a 90 on, but I got a 73 instead.

A test it supposed to TEST you on your knowledge of a subject. Instead it's a test of human imperfection.

If you know how to do something, but you make an error, like type in the wrong number on a calculator because your finger slipped, or forget to lable your measurements as cm. or ft. because you were running out of time, why get punished?

If you know what you are doing, you know the answer, but you make an error, why should you get rammed for it?

Humans make mistakes.

Today on the test, half of my problem was small mistakes, mistype a number, forget a lable. But another huge factor is I get nervous as hell. My mind goes blank. All I can think of is "Oh no, I am running out of time" The moment after I finish the test I suddenly remember all the right answers.

Bottom line. Tests suck.

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

What about air traffic controllers?
Surgeons?


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"Music is the universal language and the
dialect we speak in is Hip Hop!" - King Solomon

If you knew what you were doing then you wouldn't make mistakes.



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You're entering a world of pain.

Like a math equation. If you forget to carry a number, or your finger doesn't hit the key hard enough on a calculator. You know how to get the answer, and you would have gotten it, if it wasnt for a small mistake.

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

Then slow down and pay attention. The reason behind timing tests is so kids who don't know the material don't sit there all day and waste everybody else's time. If you know the material, you should finish with plenty of time to spare.

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Do you have stairs in your house?

That's life. Wait until you get to college. Wait until you get to the real world where those kind of mistakes cost you your job.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

So, you're making excuses for your mistakes instead of taking responsibility for them?

So you think it's unfair for teachers to count wrong answers against you on a test?

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"LC Tusken: the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot"
NMGOH || Jack Chick preaches it

Yes, tests aren't very forgiving of mistakes. But there isn't really a way to make them so.

How could you prove that you made this mistake because it slipped your mind rather than making it because you lack the understanding?

If I show all my work. Yes. Obviously in real life, with a job, I will have time to look over my work a few more times. Work without being worried.

Or if it's in Literature. Yes. Most of the questions begin with "In your opinion..." then end with "..which of the following sentences best illustrates the story". How fair is that? Getting graded on an opinionated test.

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

[This message has been edited by SAJN_Master (edited March 26, 2004).]

If you honestly think this is true, then you're in for a shock when you get a job.



The point isnt what your opinion is, its how well you can back it up.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...
DSettahr's Homepage | Cantina Cloud | Rally NY

[This message has been edited by DSettahr (edited March 26, 2004).]

In Lit. our tests are usually multiple choice.



Uhh..yeah I do. I've never seen someone get a few pages of math and then been told "I need this in 30 mins or we are all DOOMED!"

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

I have friends who work in the IT industry... web page design, computer programming applications for small independant companies, etc. Things can get very, very hectic when a deadline approaches.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...
DSettahr's Homepage | Cantina Cloud | Rally NY

Our teacher gives partial credit if you start the problem off with a wrong number or something, but using that wrong number to get a correct answer for that wrong problem.

So basically lets say:
2 + 2 = ?

I accidentally write down and work out

2+3 = ?

2+3= 5

He gives me partial credit, because although I may have made a stupid mistake, using that mistake I came up with a correct answer to that wrong problem. You can still do real poor on the test if you do all the problems like that, but it helps null the sting of a mistake if you make one stupid slip.

But otherwise, here's what I do.

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS. If you don't get what you are supposed to, you did something wrong! If you can't check your answer, then guess what? You don't know how to do the problem.

If you think you don't have enough time, don't wear a watch, or don't pay attention to remaining time, and instead focus on getting the answers right. Rushing through a test to finish all the problems but getting half wrong, doesn't do good for you. Taking your time and getting all the questions you DO finish right, and you get at least 2/3rds right. That's a big improvement. Heck, I know SATs don't mark off for not answering (you don't get credit either, but whatever). So just take your time, and get them right the first time, and check your work.

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"The future is not determined by a throw of the dice, but is determined by the conscious decisions of you and me."
I am addicted to ellipses!!! AHHH!!! ...
Make Sorrowind Worthwhile... join it! http://sorrowind.net

Also, in some occupations, the difference between centimeters and feet can mean the difference between life and death. Units are an integral part of calculations. It's a good idea to get used to showing them in every step of your calculations, because if you ever take any kind of physics course in college, you wont be able to solve any problem without showing units every step along the way.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...
DSettahr's Homepage | Cantina Cloud | Rally NY

[This message has been edited by DSettahr (edited March 26, 2004).]

When you are graded on a question about your opinion, it's not your opinion that is graded. You are graded on your ability to back up your statements, and in turn on whether you actually read the book/did the work/attended class/took notes. That's the whole point of thesis papers.

Also, about the whole showing work and superfluous errors thing: Once again it's not a question of if you got the right answer, it's a question of whether you heard the teacher tell you to show units or if you understand the concept of what you're doing. If you want a test that grades you on your answers, go for the SAT or ACT.

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Bliss is ignorance.

I repeat. Our lit tests are usually multiple choice. I'm not going to explain why I circled choice A over B or C or D. You don't do that on multiple choice tests.

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

Lit tests that are all multiple choice are a cop out by the teacher. Lit tests should be testing your ability to form a thesis then support said thesis with passages from the book or series of books.

When you get a job, you will be given work to do and there will be a deadline. If all your work is not completed by the deadline, your *** will be canned.

Basically, you are no going to get sympathy from people here, especailly people you are further along in life than you are. Just about anyone who is in college or working for aliving has zero sympathy for you.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

Yeah, you circle the correct letter. If you circle the wrong letter you dont know what the answer was, or you would have gotten it correct.

Get over it.

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There are two asses in Massassi... and I'm one of them.
The Matrix Unplugged|The Valley of the Jedi Tower|Smaug's Lair

I'am going to be the first to be blunt and real with you, and sum up everything everyone said in one sentence:

Based on this, I can now say you will fail in life. Miserablly.




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In Tribute to Adam Sliger. Rest in Peace

10/7/85 - 12/9/03

Ubuu, out, out of my thread now. I have all B's and A's as of now, I just think tests are crap.



OPINION QUESTIONS. What do YOU think best describes this story.




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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

Exactly. I'm not trying to sound condescending, but compared to college and jobs in the real world, High School is a walk in the park. You may think its hard, but it isnt. In college you get more freedom, and yes it is nice to have, but the course work is a lot harder. The point of High School is to provide everyone with a basic education that will get them through life. And thats what it really is, basic.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...
DSettahr's Homepage | Cantina Cloud | Rally NY

Also, if you have all B's and A's, then why are you complaining? No college you apply to is going to care about a few points lost on a test because you hit the wrong button on your calculator. Whats really important these days when you apply to college are the things that show your character... clubs you've been a part of, teacher reccomendations, etc. If its a personal thing, "trying to do the best you can," etc, let it go. Enjoy the time you have left in high school. Perfect grades aren't the beginning and the end of the unniverse.

You have to realize that a lot of us who are older were once high schoolers too... And yes, I can garuntee that we've had teachers who were just as crabby and mean as your worst, and took just as many points off for the smallest of mistakes. We know what its like. But you know what? Looking back now, I understand that some of my strictest teachers actually helped prepare me the best for life beyond high school.

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And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...
DSettahr's Homepage | Cantina Cloud | Rally NY

[This message has been edited by DSettahr (edited March 26, 2004).]

You were just talking about multiple choice questions when i made that comment. What kind of test has multiple choices which have your opinions in them?



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There are two asses in Massassi... and I'm one of them.
The Matrix Unplugged|The Valley of the Jedi Tower|Smaug's Lair

I'm in sajn's electronics class, he got a 73 on AC inductors i got a 95. Wasn't that hard dude...
What if we were building a circuit for someone who wants it done right the first time, for a job. You forget to use the meter or just assume something is right and bam everything could go wrong.
Point is you should know the material and be confident about it.
I got 5 points off for simple arithmetic.

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Blue, no yellow, AHHHHHHHHHH

Damn, homey, your own classmate spit fire on you. Holla!



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In Tribute to Adam Sliger. Rest in Peace

10/7/85 - 12/9/03

boohoohoo.. you had a bad mark.

So? the whole purpose of a test IS to test the theory in your head. if you didn't assimilate the theory correctly, you WILL get a result based on your assimilation level.

And also, if you're already whining at school, I'd hate to see you in a real life situation and following that, I concur with ubuu's statement, simply because you'll see that the Job Industry today is all about "making good stuff, in less time"

If you can't do that, deal with it, but you will be faced with situations where "OMG OMG WE NEED THAT MATH REPORT IN 30 MINS OR WE'RE DOOMED" will apply. Just because you haven't seen them in SCHOOL, especially high school, which has the easiest setting of all levels compared to college, uni and the Job market, doesn't mean they don't exist.

Point in case.

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* Seb goes around singing "I'm too sexy for my body"
* Wolfy goes around singing "I'm too sexy for Seb's body"
* Cave_Demon steals Seb's underwear (underwear stolen: 39)

Tests are evil. Expecially when for whatever reason you are lacking (like Chemistry for my sister, where they switched exam boards halfway through and screwed everyone over). I'm going through the hardest part of my school life - 11 or so GCSEs, three of which I'm likely to botch because a) I was forced into them by my school (aside from compulsory subjects like Sci, Maths and Eng Lit and Lang...) and b) the class behave like... something not well behaved.

OK, identical testing situations most likely will never happen. They feel like a waste of time, and it probably would be much better to grade more on the work you do through the year, such as with our language Coursework course - we don't have to do a French or German final written exam, just submit three pieces of coursework where we, quite literally, cheat. In all respect, most exams are a load of crap - especially in English things if you don't have clear handwriting, or maths, if your calculator dies on you, or language, where your book spontaneously combusts...

Anyway, tests are bad, but there's really no other way. Ad, on the bright side, you've only got between 12 and 18 years of education. How hard can it be?

Oh, and Det, I'd be worried if I made a mistake involving feet and centimetres. I don't think a 300cm bridge would be entirey adequate for crossing a 90 yard river, eh?

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The Earth is the cradle of the mind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever.
-- Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, The Father of Rocketry

Because the marker isn't a mind reader and they can only go off what you write down. Secondly, we don't have time to umm and ahh over every answer to try and decide how much you know.

Also students have absolutely no concept of how long it takes to mark pieces of assessment. I just finished marking about 140 biochem lab reports and if I floundered around trying to figure out how much I think you might know, then I wouldn't finish marking until sometime next semester. And then of course they all whinge about why they haven't got their marks back earlier.

While you can never eliminate stupid mistakes, the amount you make is proportional to how well you know the material. Nerves are irrelevant, if you know it, you shouldn't be nervous. Study more.

Because you're teacher doesn't know what you're thinking. That's why. You're in electronics, right? Do I even need to explain how important these things are? Let's say you're an electrical engineer and you design a device intended for an input amperage of 3 mA, but you forget the label. The person putting the power supply together for the device will see just "3" and assume the base unit of 3 Amps. The device is mass produced, and all fail because the 3 Amp power supply fries the circuit. Furthermore, the 3 amps are dangerous. You'll have to have the device recalled, reproduced, and re-released. By this time, your *** has already been canned.
And it gets far more serious working with high voltage engines & generators, and powerlines and such. Forgetting a proper label can cost someone's life, and the chances that you'll get sued for negligence are pretty high. And the chances of getting another electronics job after such a fault will be pretty slim.

Bottom line: labels & calculations are important.

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"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."
- Proverbs 27:17

Catalog of Electronic Components - Complete IC data sheets
National Electrical Code® (NEC®) Online - Legal requirements for wiring projects.

yes, thats true. When you're a web designer, the contract is what you answer to, and you see the deadline displayed in the center of your vision in glowing white letters when you sleep (or thats how it was for me, I couldn't get Mar. 15 out of my head during my last design job).

generally, you have to allow for mistakes in your project. I even added a clause in my contract that states that I cannot be penalized in any way for disasters that are not my fault (such as hard drive failures, etc.)

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Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

The point of a test isn't just to see if you remember the material or not - it also tests how well you do under pressure and surrounded by boundaries. In real life, you won't have some magical fairy guiding your finger to stop it from slipping on the wrong button, or to stop you from writing down a '3' rather than a '2', and in real life, you'll often be limited in time, and you'll have other people who depend on your work. You can know everything there is to know about everything, but if you're not capable of using it right, no one will bother hiring you.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

Hahahahahahahaha

Wow man... I've never seen such a whiny little brat in my life...

The test isn't the problem man, YOU'RE the problem. Double check your answers if you're makin stupid mistakes.

People AREN'T supposed to make mistakes. If a surgeon "ACCIDENTLY" gives you too much morphine because he forgot to calculate your weight in pounds instead of kilograms, you're screwed. Would you just let the mistake go because "humans make mistakes?" Of course, surgeons only have a short amount of time to get their stuff together as well.

And basically like Ubuu said, if somethin as simple as a test freaks you out, then you're not gonna succeed in life.

lol @ the kid in your class that got a 95.

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My Tracks

yo dawg, chill on the instultizles. read the rulez `aight?

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I’m not going to die, I’m going to see if I was ever alive. - Spike
It's not your right to decide whether they live or die. They deserve a chance! - Vash
BABIES EVERYWHERE!!!

He used 'proper' spelling and was right, although a bit harsh

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"Music is the universal language and the
dialect we speak in is Hip Hop!" - King Solomon

When he makes a point that goes against yours, insult him personally. Makes makes sense

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"Just remember -- No matter how bad things get, Northern Minnesota will always be there"
-- Garrison Keeler

Momma always said that stupid is as stupid does...

Know the material better so that you have time to double check, or work with more focus. Forgetting a label is something that you shouldn't do too often in high school. I've missed some points on homework in Chemistry for failing to label, but never on tests.

Plus, if two people have the same mastery over the material, but one does it all without error... who deserves the better grade? Life is harsh.

[This message has been edited by Jedi Legend (edited March 27, 2004).]