Are you smarter than Mathayom 6? Stupid questions from standardized test leak online

[webfact]

Are you smarter than Mathayom 6? Stupid questions from standardized test leak online
By Prae Sakaowan


An old photo of Kasetsart University students who were told to wear "anti-cheating helmet" during mid-term exams

BANGKOK: -- The most important day for Thai high schoolers took place over the weekend as students across the country sat standardized tests, the gateway to the universities of their dreams.

Known as probably the most ridiculous, mind-boggling test in the world, Thailand’s standardized exam for high school graduates, “ONET,” was held over the weekend.

But some students left the test room with even more questions in their heads and logged onto the internet to ask: <deleted> were those questions?

For yet another year, students shared the most confusing questions on the test on the popular “Dek-D” or “Good Kid” forum. Here are some of the questions collected by website Minimore.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/02/09/are-you-smarter-mathayom-6-stupid-questions-standardized-test-leak-online

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2016-02-09

[Fabricus]

The first four questions seem quite sensible. Sure, they're unusual, but not stupid.

The last two are perhaps best described as "uniquely Thai".

[English_M_in_Bkk]

The first four questions seem quite sensible. Sure, they're unusual, but not stupid.

The last two are perhaps best described as "uniquely Thai".

Which of the following is a lesson learned from the evolution of a star? is not a stupid question?

And asking about mythical creatures in the science part... I mean why not ask about unicorns as well, they could be studied too of course...

Edited February 9, 2016 by English_M_in_Bkk

[TPI]

Unfortunatly I had trouble finishing as I laughed so much I spilled my coffee! M6 students usually haven't traveled more than 5 kilometers from home and any question about aircraft , ships, or personal relationships will boggle the mind! Remember the only way to get any of these questions right is to guess "what was in the mind of the examiner!" And/or what drugs was he/she on at the time!!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

If ignorance is bliss then the so called educators that created these questions must be ecstatic!!!

My gf was over the other day and was preparing to take an Eng exam to test her level of proficiency.

She showed me one sample question and I had to laugh and shake my head because the question itself had completely incorrect Eng in it, and none of the possible answers were correct.

These students really don't stand a chance. I feel sorry for them especially since in Thai society it is not polite to question your superiors, even when they are inferior.

[Snackbar]

Asked 2nd year hotel management students odd one out questions in mid term exam.

5. 10. 50. 100.

1 out of 40 got it right.

Husband. Wife. Son. Nephew.

Half the class chose correctly.

1. 2. 3. 5.

Confused many.

Asked a crossword style question. Saturday & Sunday (7 letters)

Many SS worte the remaining days of the week Mon-Fri.

Not the brightest despite extensive prep work.

[Minnehaha]

this is grim.

i can see why they do not want the questions leaked to the press. it is extremely embarrassing if you are the teacher setting these questions.

were these in English, as they are printed here? or were they in Thai and then translated to English for our benefit?

[SOTIRIOS]

.....this is really not healthy......

...Good God.....

....this is insanity...not intelligence.......

[canuckamuck]

I help my 12 year old with her homework frequently. The amount of questions that make no sense, have no correct answer, or several correct answers is staggering. But what is worse is helping her with English class and teaching her the right English, but also helping her remember it wrong. Because if she answers it correctly she would get it wrong.

The teacher frequently corrects my contributions with some Engrish. I asked my daughter if the teacher can speak English at all. She said no. Meanwhile my daughter is fluent in English but often gets lower marks than other kids who cannot speak any English.

[pauleddy]

It's a joke. My BF had to buy a book about Job Apps and Covering Letters in Eng. because of his course requirement. The book cost 120b and was compiled by four Thai teachers (ahem...one a PhD!) Every page has mistakes, be it grammar, syntax, vocab or just the printer's typesetting. I despair...so I am teaching him myself.

Eddy

[car720]

Any question now as to why, sex and drugs and rock&roll are the mainstays of Thai culture?

[Roomuck]

If these questions confuse you then you are obviously not a good Thai child. That is what they are testing for.

It is not just English Thai they muck up. I often come across Thai script spelt wrongly on menus etc.In the western world if you printed a menu wrongly, there would likely be a fuss made and every customer would want to point it out. Here, if you know what they mean, very few if any would point it out.

Very nice people, these Thais. No need to make a fuss, don't sweat the small stuff.

[glamont002]

Thailand is doomed

[thaipara]

Showing my lack of aptitude for hotel management, I guess, but questions like these always bother me.

Of 5, 10, 50, and 100,

5 is the only odd number;

10 is the smallest that can be written using exactly two decimal digits;

50 is the one that is closest to the average of the other three; and

100 is the only one that is evenly divisible by the other three.

Of Husband. Wife. Son. Nephew.

Husband takes more letters to write than the others;

Using traditional definitions, Wife is the only female;

Son has fewest letters; and

Nephew is not immediate family.

Of 1, 2 , 3, 5

1 is the only one listed that is not prime,

2 is the only even one listed,

3 is the largest number still written with as many lines as the number represents.

5 is not a proper divisor of any perfect number; the others are.

Lots more reasons that each of the choices is odd one, though playing on words does suggest that 5 is, indeed, uniquely odd. These questions really seem to boil down to "what was the test setter thnking of as the odd one out?"

Asked 2nd year hotel management students odd one out questions in mid term exam.

5. 10. 50. 100.

1 out of 40 got it right.

Husband. Wife. Son. Nephew.


Half the class chose correctly.

[edkhalil]

The headline makes no sense.

[Nuddy]

I have a mate from Europe and he spent years studying and learning Thai.

He keeps telling me most Thai do not know to speak Thai very well.

Ok. Fair enough.A lot of Lao influence in my area.

He has sons whom speak his European language, Thai and english.

He constantly is correcting them to speak correct Thai but at the same time allows them to do their homework incorrectly to match the teachers incorrectness.

[ThaiFelix]

Reminds me of a situation some years ago when I was teaching English for a large school chain in Bangkok. We had some showy function on for the parents, I forget now, Open day, Christmas, Sports day?? I forget. Anyhow my coordinator (Thai) came to me and asked me to be English MC for the occasion and handed me a speech I was to read which had been written by the principal/school director (Thai) and asked me to check it. It was atrocious so I edited it on my laptop and handed it back. On the day, just before I was to stand at the podium, my coordinator again handed me the speech and I was dumb-founded on checking it, to see it had been changed back. My coordinator, noticing the look on my face, shrugged her shoulders shyly and informed me that the principal had changed it back again because the English wasnt correct!! In 10 years at that school I had never heard that principal utter a word of English apart from good morning.....even in the afternoon!!

[z42]

A disgrace

[Roomuck]

I have a mate from Europe and he spent years studying and learning Thai.

He keeps telling me most Thai do not know to speak Thai very well.

Ok. Fair enough.A lot of Lao influence in my area.

He has sons whom speak his European language, Thai and english.

He constantly is correcting them to speak correct Thai but at the same time allows them to do their homework incorrectly to match the teachers incorrectness.

I have a mate who went to an Thai language school in Pattaya. He tells me he often corrected the teacher's spelling. This caused obvious loss of face, although he said he tried to do it as gently as possible. He would show the teacher the mistake in the dictionary, and she would be filthy about it.

This lead to him eventually being "expelled". They didn't like him rocking the boat. They would rather continue teaching the wrong way than actually be corrected on it. And especially to be corrected by a farang. I think your mate will be smart enough not to correct the teachers, just for his kids sake.

[Snackbar]

@thaipara

Do you have experience of teaching Hotel management undergraduates?

Do you have anything constructive to contribute?

Do you have any formal teaching experience?

Any experience of course design, implementation or student assessment?

Perhaps you could enlighten us.

[Thechook]

I help my 12 year old with her homework frequently. The amount of questions that make no sense, have no correct answer, or several correct answers is staggering. But what is worse is helping her with English class and teaching her the right English, but also helping her remember it wrong. Because if she answers it correctly she would get it wrong.

The teacher frequently corrects my contributions with some Engrish. I asked my daughter if the teacher can speak English at all. She said no. Meanwhile my daughter is fluent in English but often gets lower marks than other kids who cannot speak any English.

same with my son

[zaZa9]

@thaipara

Do you have experience of teaching Hotel management undergraduates?

Do you have anything constructive to contribute?

Do you have any formal teaching experience?

Any experience of course design, implementation or student assessment?

Perhaps you could enlighten us.

I have a Bachelor of Arts ( English/History) and Diploma of Education from Newcastle University and I found a number of the questions you quoted as perplexing, at best, as well.

For example , "Husband. Wife. Son Nephew." is clearly culturally loaded toward the more Western "Nuclear" family model .

A nephew may be much more interchangeable with a son in the Thai rural family model.

So here its my view you are testing for Western norms - or English reading skills.

Edited February 10, 2016 by zaZa9

[Snackbar]

With experience of conversing with Thais you would see many can't tell the time, can't do simple math, can't comprehend basic analysis, have no geographical knowledge, and don't know that the sixth month of the year isn't July.

Potentially embarrassing for a management trainee at an international hotel when they claim:

Fivety + ten = fiveteen. Or shout Urrrgeeehh! at an international guest.

Such questions are relevant fillers with negliable academic value, 0.2% of the total exam score. Designed to keep the SS in the examination room. Designed to verify retention, an exam

of their language corpus.

Thai culture has no relevance in an English language course. Such inclusion would be perplexing, as you well know when you aren't trolling.

Have a good day.

[MikeN]

@thaipara

Do you have experience of teaching Hotel management undergraduates?

Do you have anything constructive to contribute?

Do you have any formal teaching experience?

Any experience of course design, implementation or student assessment?

Perhaps you could enlighten us.

So what are your correct answers ?

Husband. Wife. Son. Nephew.

Half the class chose correctly.

Wife is the only female, nephew is not immediate family ....2 obvious choices out of 4 so a 50% correct is about right ratio.

1. 2. 3. 5.

2 is the only even number, 5 is out of sequence(1,2,3,4)....again 2 obvious "right" answers which could also be wrong.

5, 10, 50, and 100

5 is the only odd number, 100 is the only number that cannot be a multiple or divisor of the other 2 (5*10=50, 50/5=10, but 100 does not fit into any possible equation). Once again, 2 possible right answers.

A poorly designed test paper in my opinion....and yes I do have experience.

Edited February 10, 2016 by MikeN

[Snackbar]

Like I said they are fillers worth 0.2%, to test vocab and basic logic.

Answers are quite obvious. If you have experience, post your own exam questions, as the thread is about exam questions. ?

[zaZa9]

@thaipara

Do you have experience of teaching Hotel management undergraduates?

Do you have anything constructive to contribute?

Do you have any formal teaching experience?

Any experience of course design, implementation or student assessment?

Perhaps you could enlighten us.

So what are your correct answers ?

Husband. Wife. Son. Nephew.

Half the class chose correctly.

Wife is the only female, nephew is not immediate family ....2 obvious choices out of 4 so a 50% correct is about right ratio.

1. 2. 3. 5.

2 is the only even number, 5 is out of sequence(1,2,3,4)....again 2 obvious "right" answers which could also be wrong.

5, 10, 50, and 100

5 is the only odd number, 100 is the only number that cannot be a multiple or divisor of the other 2 (5*10=50, 50/5=10, but 100 does not fit into any possible equation). Once again, 2 possible right answers.

A poorly designed test paper in my opinion....and yes I do have experience.

Yes it is Mike.

But Snackbar appears to believe such ambiguous drivel provides him with great hotel staff .... I guess thats why we all have had such wonderful experience with Hotel staff in Thailand.

[canuckamuck]

Like I said they are fillers worth 0.2%, to test vocab and basic logic.

Answers are quite obvious. If you have experience, post your own exam questions, as the thread is about exam questions. ?

So the trick is to know which is the most obvious choice? I always have trouble with those kinds of tests because I am always unsure about which correct answer is more obvious to the test maker.

[Snackbar]

There're no tricks, it's not circus school. Have a lie down fella.

[Asheron]

This... erhmm... "test" just give fuel to my prejudice (i have lived "a few" years in Thailand) that most thais have no idea what is going on most of the time and should really use shoes with velcro as to not get confused about the shoe laces.