ENTRANCE EXAM -1951

Share your memories and stories from your days at school, and find out the truth behind the rumours....Remember the teachers and pupils, tell us who you remember and why...

Moderator: Moderators

UserRemovedAccount
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:17 pm

ENTRANCE EXAM -1951

Post by UserRemovedAccount »

Here is the Arithmetic Test Paper 1951 Time 45 minutes. Age: 10-11. NO calculators or log tables! Did we really do that and pass?
(Please note that I have had to write some fractions out in full as I cannot persuade my computer to express them mathematically - sorry Julian!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Candidate's name and initials must be written on each sheet: and the sheets must he fastened together with either string or pins.
CHRIST'S HOSPITAL
ALMONERS' NOMINEES' EXAMINATION (PART II), 1951
ARITHMETIC
Time allowed, 45 minutes


1. If a fire, which is not allowed to go out, burns 1lb of coal every hour, find the weight of coal it burns in a year (365 days) giving the answer in tons, cwt, lb.
2. What would be the value of l¾lb. of a substance if ¾lb. of it is worth £12 5s. 3d?
3. Simplify:
(i) 3⅜ + 4⅓ – two and five-sixths.
(ii) Four and four-ninths divided by five-sixths.
(iii) 1.74 x 1.4.
4. A man walked at a steady speed of 5 miles per hour:
(i) How far did he walk in 1 hour 36 minutes?
(ii) How long did he take to walk 2¼ miles?
5. On each £1 interest a tax of 9s. 6d. has to be paid. Find the total interest if £ 189 is left after tax has been paid.
6. 44 yards of wire netting are used to enclose a pen for hens:
(i) What is the area enclosed if the pen is square,
(ii) What is the area enclosed if the pen is a rectangle 10½ yd. wide?
7. A shop assistant takes a job and begins to earn 35s. a week. If wages are increased by Is. 6d. at the end of each eight weeks, how many weeks must he work before the wage is more than £3 a week?
8. In an examination a candidate scored 44% on the English paper (full marks 200) and 38% on the Arithmetic paper (full marks 250):
(i) How many marks did he score on each paper?
(ii) What was his percentage score on the two papers taken together?
------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME FOR THE ANSWERS!!
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Post by englishangel »

I have printed it off and I am going to try it later.

I am a sucker for a challenge.
User avatar
jtaylor
Forum Administrator
Posts: 1880
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:32 am
Real Name: Julian Taylor
Location: Wantage, OXON
Contact:

Post by jtaylor »

It's pretty straight-forward now, but when I was 10??? I doubt I'd have answered a single question!
I maths-coach teenagers in the evenings, and I'm teaching some of this stuff to them for GCSE, let alone for entrance exams!

The only ones I struggle with are the old-money questions - before my time....

J
Julian Taylor-Gadd
Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
Image
Founder of The Unofficial CH Forum
https://www.grovegeeks.co.uk - IT Support and website design for home, small businesses and charities.
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Post by englishangel »

I'll try it on my two who are in VIth form, both got a B for GCSE
User avatar
Richard Ruck
Button Grecian
Posts: 3120
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:08 pm
Real Name: Richard Ruck
Location: Horsham

Post by Richard Ruck »

jtaylor wrote:The only ones I struggle with are the old-money questions - before my time....J
It's a doddle, Julian!

This is what I remember from the '60s

Coins -
Farthing = 1 quarter of a penny (abolished 1961, so I don't really remember it in circulation!).
Halfpenny
Penny
Threepenny bit
Sixpence
Shilling (= 12 pence)
Florin - 2 shillings
Half-crown - 2 shillings six pence
Crown - 5 shillings (not in general circulation)
Guinea - 21 shillings (not in general circulation)

£1.00 = 20 shillings.

There was also a 10 shilling note in circulation (equivalent to 50p today).
I once found one of these in the street as a kid, and thought it so valuable (and was such an honest brat) that I took it to the local cop shop. No-one claimed it, so after 3 months it was all mine.
Ba.A / Mid. B 1972 - 1978

Thee's got'n where thee cassn't back'n, hassn't?
AKAP
Grecian
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:36 pm
Real Name: Andrew Palmer
Location: Northumberland

Post by AKAP »

For some strange reason I have never understood pence was written as d

so
Shilling (= 12d)


Anyone know why?
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Post by englishangel »

d = denarius

£ = Libra

whatever happened to your classical education?
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Post by J.R. »

englishangel wrote:I have printed it off and I am going to try it later.

I am a sucker for a challenge.
OH DEAR !!!!

This exam paper brings back memories. Seem to recall it was the same, or similar in 1957. Oddly enough, very similar to the basic Police math entry exam in the early 60's.

Interesting to see if the kids who are shown this can do it without calculators etc. Of course, we didn't have 'em in my day.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
AKAP
Grecian
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:36 pm
Real Name: Andrew Palmer
Location: Northumberland

Post by AKAP »

englishangel wrote:d = denarius

£ = Libra

whatever happened to your classical education?

Blame Mr Nicholson
UserRemovedAccount
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:17 pm

Post by UserRemovedAccount »

Concerning crowns and guineas.
I believe that there may have been a very, very small number of crown coins, but I certainly never, ever saw one and I doubt very much that they were ever on public issue. As to guineas, although it is correct that 1 guinea = 21 shillings, I do not believe that there ever was either a coin or a note for such an amount. It seems to have been used mainly among the horse-racing fraternity, but why, I do not know.

There was also a Five-Pound note which was printed on white paper and considerably larger than the 10 shiiling and 1 pound notes. It gave a feeling of great satisfaction to hold one - which, in my case, was very rarely.

The sort of sums I really used to enjoy were of the form "Divide £11,284: 16s:2d by 184." A total waste of time, but quite satisfying when the answer came out right. In the early '50s, boys with more prosperous parents used to have little hand calculators which worked mechanically and involved moving slides up and down with a small needle. Not only could I not afford one, but I never understood how they worked, anyway.

I am delighted that posting the paper has given so much pleasure although I suspect that there will be some sore heads tonight!
User avatar
J.R.
Forum Moderator
Posts: 15835
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:53 pm
Real Name: John Rutley
Location: Dorking, Surrey

Post by J.R. »

petard249 wrote:Concerning crowns and guineas.
I believe that there may have been a very, very small number of crown coins, but I certainly never, ever saw one and I doubt very much that they were ever on public issue. As to guineas, although it is correct that 1 guinea = 21 shillings, I do not believe that there ever was either a coin or a note for such an amount. It seems to have been used mainly among the horse-racing fraternity, but why, I do not know.

There was also a Five-Pound note which was printed on white paper and considerably larger than the 10 shiiling and 1 pound notes. It gave a feeling of great satisfaction to hold one - which, in my case, was very rarely.

The sort of sums I really used to enjoy were of the form "Divide £11,284: 16s:2d by 184." A total waste of time, but quite satisfying when the answer came out right. In the early '50s, boys with more prosperous parents used to have little hand calculators which worked mechanically and involved moving slides up and down with a small needle. Not only could I not afford one, but I never understood how they worked, anyway.

I am delighted that posting the paper has given so much pleasure although I suspect that there will be some sore heads tonight!
Loads about in collections. Generally issued for a special occasion. Both our daughters have Sir Winston Churchill crowns in presentation cases.

I suppose one of the squits will now ask what a 'Half-Crown' was ??
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Post by englishangel »

Guineas are still used for horse auctions.

There were indeed guinea coins many years ago (George III)

Crowns (5/-, 25 pence) used to be quite common and are still made occasionally for special occasions, three this year alone, for Nelson/Trafalgar etc. and they are legal tender.

check out this website

http://www.24carat.co.uk/britishorengli ... frame.html
Vonny
Button Grecian
Posts: 1625
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:33 pm
Real Name: Yvonne Payne

Post by Vonny »

englishangel wrote:I have printed it off and I am going to try it later.

I am a sucker for a challenge.
Rather you than me! :lol Don't think I would have passed that aged 10-11. Debatable whether I'd pass it now in fact! :lol:

The old money confuses me as well :lol:
2's 1981-1985 2:12 BaB 1985-1988 BaB 41
sejintenej
Button Grecian
Posts: 4092
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:19 pm
Real Name: David Brown ColA '52-'61
Location: Essex

Post by sejintenej »

Mrs C might like to spread this around CH.
I wrote it when recruits with GCSE Maths grade 3 or better were frequently found to be incompetent. Unlimited time, unlimited scrap paper, no calculators, calender on the back wall of the exam room, candidates alone, unsupervised.

1 What is the interest on £10,000 for 4 months at 1 1/2% per annum?

2. What is the interest on £20,000 for 3 months at 2% pa.

3. What is the date 90 days after 3rd June?

4. What is 80% of the cost of 2,000 bales of wool at £50 per bale?

5. £15,468.78
add £ 7,649.32
----------------
(blank line for answer)
deduct £ 18,872.59
----------------
(blank line for answer)
add £ 27,985.87
---------------
(blank line for answer
----------------


End of test. (The amounts in Q5 should be lined up - they are not because of this medium we use)

If it seems easy, it is. There are no catches and the first 4 were answered by a colleague (checking my calculations in his head) in about 25 seconds).

Of the first 15 candidates who sat the test 7 did not get a single question right, and we had about 3 who got 5 out of 5. (Note - they all had the grade C in Maths).
I spoke to a deputy head teacher about the results and he was most indignant, saying that it was not for schoools to teach pupils how to do such sums - employers should do that. His school was "blacked" thereafter.
Between this and the first post on this thread I know which I prefer!
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
User avatar
englishangel
Forum Moderator
Posts: 6956
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:22 pm
Real Name: Mary Faulkner (Vincett)
Location: Amersham, Buckinghamshire

Post by englishangel »

sejintenej wrote:Mrs C might like to spread this around CH.
I wrote it when recruits with GCSE Maths grade 3 or better were frequently found to be incompetent. Unlimited time, unlimited scrap paper, no calculators, calender on the back wall of the exam room, candidates alone, unsupervised.

1 What is the interest on £10,000 for 4 months at 1 1/2% per annum?
£100

2. What is the interest on £20,000 for 3 months at 2% pa.
£100

3. What is the date 90 days after 3rd June?
28th September

4. What is 80% of the cost of 2,000 bales of wool at £50 per bale?
£80,000

5. £15,468.78
add £ 7,649.32
----------------
£23,118.10
deduct £ 18,872.59
----------------
£4,245.51
add £ 27,985.87
---------------
£32,231.38 ----------------


End of test. (The amounts in Q5 should be lined up - they are not because of this medium we use)

If it seems easy, it is. There are no catches and the first 4 were answered by a colleague (checking my calculations in his head) in about 25 seconds).

Of the first 15 candidates who sat the test 7 did not get a single question right, and we had about 3 who got 5 out of 5. (Note - they all had the grade C in Maths).
I spoke to a deputy head teacher about the results and he was most indignant, saying that it was not for schoools to teach pupils how to do such sums - employers should do that. His school was "blacked" thereafter.
Between this and the first post on this thread I know which I prefer!
I took 5 minutes but it is 5.30 am
It has been pointed out to me privately that I got two wrong. No 1, I will work out later.#

No 3 I misread as June 30th. I did say it was 5.30am.
Last edited by englishangel on Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"If a man speaks, and there isn't a woman to hear him, is he still wrong?"
Post Reply