General Chat

Do you remember those days when we used to wake up in a sweat because it was physics and we had fallen asleep previous night revising.

We could waffle in history and English Literature, but physics and math(s)!!! YOu either knew it or you didn't.

So what was your hardest exam ever? And did you pass?

Mine was RSA III in English. It was supposed to be between O and A level (just below A level for you younger ones). And I had just passed English at A level so I thought it would be quite easy.

Looked at first question - what is the etymological derivation of the following words: kayak, igloo, pygmy and about 10 others.

I knew etymological must have something to do with insects - but what had a kayak got to do with insects? Eyes glazed over. Looked round - and rest of students looked like a grenade had been thrown into the room. One girl started crying and ran out. A lad near me started stabbing the back of his hand with his pen knib.

I scraped through with a "pass". Not quite the "distinction" I was hoping for :-( :-(

Are you talking to yourself Coch? :-S

Hopefully not, Island. We shall see. :-D May be quite a fun thread , but who knows?

Do you remember one in particular?

My recollection is that exams were for so long and we used to wonder what we would do for the rest of the time as we couldn't possibly sit and write for hours, as required.
Once we got started it wasn't too bad, although there were sometimes exams where you had to choose questions to answer
eg. Answer 3 questions from Section A and 4 from Section B ....and I'd go through and think 'Well I don't know enough to write fully about that...or that... so what's left.'

I can't think of one exam that stands out from the rest though.

Gwyn

First year high school.

My parents moved house three weeks before the end of the school year.

So, new house in a suburb miles away from where we used to live. New school.

Science exam. Totally different to the Science class in my previous school.

I got 32%. The only exam I ever failed. My dad was FURIOUS!! I thought I did quite well, considering. He never mentioned that I got top marks in the other exams.

Gwyn and Scozz Brings back the memories, the pressure :-D ;-)

French 'O' level. WE had to translate a French piece into English. It cocerned the word Péche which ALL OF US thought was fish. In fact it was peaches.

The examiners though it was quite funny and most of our translations were perfect except for the single misunderstanding so we passed. The teacher got a rocket for not having taught us that word.

Yes, I was also terrified of Physics though I passed A level no problem

Etymology and Entomology...easy to confuse like Peach and Fish!

Malcolm What is fish en Francais? Thought it was poisson and we always confused it with poison. But I do seem to remember something like peche for fish also.

Ohhh Entomology, was it? Am sure I introduced ants to the igloos and kayaks. Not sure what insects I introduced to the pygmies. Sure I wouldn't have left my page blank - always liked a waffle in exam room if I was completely stumped :-D

As in Spanish, Fish changes when it's dead! Poisson when alive, Pêche when dead (French) Pez when alive Pescado on the hook or slab. (Spanish) I'm pretty sure that's the rule.

The drift of the translation was that this person was at a party and saw "a lovely pair of peaches" so hid them in his hat (which did seem an odd thing to do with two smelly fish!)

I see some lovely pairs of peaches down here in the summer. Oooh La La! ;-)

THink you need a bit of stiff Scottish wind up your kilt, Malcolm. :-D :-D Was the song "Mad dogs and Scottishman go out in the midday sun"

Anyway, I am looking at a small pescado as I contemplate lunch. :-(

Algebra and Geometry in Form 2-failed miserably in both.Maths was never one of my strengths-but I loved English Lit.,History etc. :-) :-) :-) :-)

Margot.

I was never nervous of school exams,they were just another quiz for me,and I usually scraped through ok.

The only exam that terrified me was my driving one,and two and finally passed on my third. :-D :-D :-D

Chartered Accountant finals.
Although my third attempt at the Intermediate had me worried having only narrowly missed passing on the previous two attempts and a third fail might have put my training contract in jeopardy.

more of test rather than exam. defusing a bomb........do i cut the red wire first? or the blue wire........

Passing Amature Radio exam when maths had to be applied and some aspects of physics, passed but failed on the morse,,,,,,, just no ear for it.

LOL Bob I know the answer to that one. Ask the ROV which one he wants.

It would have to be Physics 'O' level. I agonised with so much revision for it and just scraped through, yet with Biology I just looked at the diagrams and got the top grade.

My dad would have been like yours Scozz. As it was I passed all 9 O levels, but when I told him he just grunted and never looked up from his paper. No chance of doing A levels, he thought it was a waste of money educating girls. :-S

My knees turned to jelly when I saw my driving test examiner!! Typical of those times, he was ex army with Frank Muir moustache and a little cane tucked under his arm and there was me with my long hair and flared, fringed jeans........but he did pass me! :-)

What an interesting range of memories of test and exams - so varied. Not sure about bomb disposal. Sounds like Russian rouletter. Is ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle?

BrianW - those professional exams really determined whether you were going to have a successful career or not. Vets seem to have the worst of it - is it 7 years?

And the driving test? What a nightmare!!

I have thought of another today - my French oral. This lovely lady asked me questions about my name, where I lived etc. She asked about my father - I knew he was a newsagent in Walsall. So it must only have been sheer panic and not able to remember "newsagent" that he suddenly became a fisherman in Marsellies :-( :-( :-(

Driving test and like Kay ???? Amateur Radio exam. I could not and can't get my head around morse so ended up a G6 :-S