Thanks for pointing out this website, but I wouldn't necessarily discount the exam in question as being for eighth graders in 1895, as this website does. In many places around the country during that time period, eighth grade graduates could take six weeks of "normal school" training and be certified as teachers. In fact, this is how my grandfather became a teacher in Nebraska about this time. Perhaps this was more common in the West and Mid-west than in the East. In some rural districts desperate for teachers, eighth grade graduates might even forego the training and start teaching after successfully completing the certification examination given by the county superintendent of schools. Historical evidence I have seen on school lesson plans and requirements from the period suggest it is well within the realm of possibility that this could be an authentic eighth grade examination from the 1890s. Sharon M. Howe, Processing Archivist Washington State Archives Central Branch Bledsoe-Washington Building 400 E. University Way MS7547 Ellensburg, WA 98926-7547 Phone: 509-963-2136 e-mail: [log in to unmask] I found this web site on Google when I was trying to answer one of the questions. ;-D http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/1895exam.htm A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>