The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-02
THE FREE COLLEGE ExAMINA TTON
QUESTIONS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir In your
Issue oflato date Mr.. John o Kane Murray takes
exception to ono Of tho questions In history
given to tho candidates ut the recent exam
nation for admission to the College Of the City
Of New York and to the Normal College. Tho
examination papers for this purpose are. l be-
lieve. Jointly approved by tho Presidents OF both
institutions. II not prepared by them. and are
Justly and properly a subject for criticism
especially as tho interests Of 30 many young
persons, male and female. depend upon them.
Mr.. Murrays criticism Is cogent as far as 1t
goes; butt propose. with your permission. to
go little further. for 1 think that an exam
ination Of these papers on the different sub
jects will show that whoever prepared the
questions contained therein had very little
appreciation OF what is proper for such an oc-
casion, with only superficial knowledge Of the
subjects themselves. and, moreover. was want
trate this by few citations.
Among the questions in history l find the
chased in 1902 =! Certainty Very indeGnite
question. IN tho first place and in the second.
stood. one that requires for It's answer only the
single word none. Probably tho pupils OF the
bsns better T6d than
States was negotiated in 1903. Such blunder
a nervous child and certainly causes him, or
her TO lose time. an important element in this
Again we have the following: what poiti-
cal diflculties arose in consequence Of the ad;
very much like to see the answers Of the candi-
dates to this profound query and tho marks Of
hs As IT ssnd me h5 Gu"s9n
nytRng ike answer g anu Probeby
however, It Involves a blunder, the intention. OF
that attended the admission OF Missouri rather
than those that more remotely, were eonsc;
by the next question. How were they scltled?'
:, The style of this paper is eXecrable-sloyenly
source irs It Sh o have been oGe Of pro
Erety. For example, how elegant this Isl
Give the dates and short ACCOUNTS of the set
many times were Rhode Island and Maryland
settled Again Name the principal events
ton with what individual. place. or movement?
The whole paper is thus laundering misiead-
ing, and sloveny in the extreme
The paper on grammar is if possible worse
In respect to construction. style and punctua-
ton the anguage 81 the questions themsGiyes
skill OF an elementary student OF ENGLISH gram;
mar. For example: When corrected and
Gates, and modilerss in the simplest manner
grammatically. the candidate, when corrected
and reconstructed. is TO analyze his work; or,
correct and reconstr9ct his own work, in
stead OF the faulty passage assigned for crit
icism. Sad bungling from any standpoint -,
The candidate is then required to parse the
subjects and predicates for the purpose OF as
certai.ning their agrcement;' meaning, prob
to discover whether they agree or not"
The following must have caused consider
trembling with anxiety lest they should fail.
and thus disappoint the hopes of their parents.
wnrs aS o 1hes ths Ra Us
the p daee s.ruo. ,nd oorroo+ .,o ,ouor.,nc.
ms Y ~, tsirl fpr NJ xpC M p,yl,
born on the Territories Of the Empire descended
from Mixed Race of Barharans his father
was goth and his Mother OF the nation of the
This sentence in Gibbons Decline and
name. though born on the territories of the
empire. descended from a mixed race Of bar
sSaS Of HIS nd snsF e. VA Ann. and his
Now. tho candidate is told not simply to cor
rect the punctuation and captalHation, as he
should have been but Is required to recon-
needed. This must have misied and puzzled
The paper on geography. contained about
forty questions, distributed into ten numbered
caniidate was allowed one hour and half IL
that is. about two and a quarter minutes for
each question. Among these questions fnd
of Europe and the capital Of e,ni." That is,
write The name Of every country il nEur2rs; and
is LONGEST rivers" Then name the noun.
tain tuuliS Oh Many III lne OtntTs are
similarly comprehensive: indeed no child
could reasonably be expected TO perform the
mechanical part Of this reuuisition-the more
! writing-in less than two hours.
! make this criticism. not in fault-inding
sprit but in the interest o: the public, and Of
| ton Of these higher institutions of learning.
| supported at the public expense. should evince
! their good Judgment, their educational skill.
and some literary accuracy at least, in the
| preparation of these papers the use of which is
| to determine the standing of so many young
| peopo-to encourage them with the evidence
OF progress and the reward Of success. or 10
crush their energies by the disappointment of
failure, SCRurATOR