Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam

[twa]

Forehead ya might try this one if you are bored

http://www.testpreppractice.net/ASVAB/Free-Online-ASVAB-Practice-Tests.aspx

[Pick6]

Wait...is this article talking about the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)? I took that in high school (the whole school took it) and it was the EASIEST test I ever took...Scored in the 96th percentile on it, and that's WITH probably totally bombing the entire "mechanical/electrical" parts of it, which I know little to nothing about.

If this isn't talking about the ASVAB, then never mind

Yeah I took it high school too with no plans of joining the military. I scored in the 98th or 99th percentile for almost every category, excluding the mechanic part. My phone was ringing off the hook with calls from recruiters for months.

[mcsluggo]

....

Yes and no, when I was in school you would not graduate if you failed gym class. Now how is 3/4 of the available men and women not physically fit enough to even take the test? ......

so your assertion is that back in the glorious past, schools failed out all of the fat and weak kids? (for being fat and/or weak)

[Forehead]

So can anyone help me get around the login issue I described above? I put in a bunch of fake info like GACOLB said but I'm still being prompted for a login. I really don't want to have to give a real e-mail address just to receive a confirmation e-mail.

[mcsluggo]

y'all drive me insane.

First of all, the military sets up a test to define a floor for the minimum qualifications that are acceptable for a military recruit.... and people ***** because some people fail it.

THEN, people use this fact (people failing on a standardized test) as evidence of the general slackening of standards in our society.

[twa]

So are you saying their standards are too high or schools too low?

[TMK9973]

I think that private schools tend to go to college and those that don't are in the 3/4 of students who pass the test. I highly doubt a private school grad is going to FAIL this test. lol

But there is no evidence about that? How about Homeschoolers? Its just your opinion that ALL private schools are better then ALL public schools.....

I spend 1 semester at a private school called Harker Prep in the late 80's. It was a fake school. Had a total of 68 students in 4 grades - and the #9 HS basketball program in the country (Because the headmaster would recruit kids, give them scholarships, and keep them a 5th year). In finally went belly up when exposed. Many of those students would fail the test I'm guessing.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1047038.html

So to say that the students that fail MUST have been from a public education is a leap of faith with no evidence.

[Chump Bailey]

Isn't a GED just as good as a HS diploma?

Not even close IMO. I think kids are better off not bothering with the GED and go to community college when circumstances permit. You do not need either to enroll.

[mcsluggo]

Overall, people that are smart (or at least view themselves that way) seem to have no concept of what statistical distributions actually mean.

first, from this article:

The military exam results are also worrisome because the test is given to a limited pool of people: Pentagon data shows that 75 percent of those aged 17 to 24 don't even qualify to take the test because they are physically unfit, have a criminal record or didn't graduate high school.

but later in the article:

A Department of Defense report notes the military must recruit about 15 percent of youth, but only one-third are eligible. More high school graduates are going to college than in earlier decades, and about one-fourth are obese, making them medically ineligible.

so are they saaying that FIFTY-EFFIN PERCENT of 17-24 year olds are ineligible because of felony convictions?? bull-farking-spit. fortunately they demonstrate how loosy-goosy they are with defining terminology by stating that college-bound high school grads are "ineligible". wtf?

Then there was this thread:: http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?339214-How-Smart-are-you

where people with absolute sincerity regularly stated that obama/palin/beck/stewart et al were in the bottom half of the population for intelligence (or bottom quartile, even).

But people HERE are shocked that a non-random sampling of the general population (potential military recruits, apparently NOT including "ineligible" college-bound students) has 25% that are actualy demonstratively "not smart".

does anyone ACTUALLY still want to say that Glen Beck is in the bottom 25% of intelligence for the general population (or Stewart/obama/palin, whomever)

---------- Post added December-22nd-2010 at 04:40 PM ----------

So are you saying their standards are too high or schools too low?

neither. In the end i am saying that the bottom 25% of the population is not very bright... it shouldn't be very surprising when that is demonstrated.

[DeanCollins]

It's the hip hop generation, most are dumber then a sack of hammers.

[mcsluggo]

I always hate people that consider themselves ironic.

Some don't have to try quite as hard.

[Captain Wiggles]

Not even close IMO. I think kids are better off not bothering with the GED and go to community college when circumstances permit. You do not need either to enroll.

I disagree. High School is the real waste of time. Take the GED in 9th or 10th grade and enroll in a university that excepts GEDs. Seriously wish I had done that. IMO a high school diploma is worthless.

[Reic]

Im reading the article and I can not understand how 1 in 4 failing a test for the military = poor public schools?

1) How do you know which % of those people that took the test (and failed) went to public school vs private or home school?

2) How do you even know they are HS graduates that took it? How many of them have A GED?

3) Couldn't this be more of a reflection of who is taking the test to join the military vs ALL those that graduated HS?

Seems a huge jump to a conclusion that says because 1 in 4 that failed a test to join the military that proves our public schools are in bad shape.

Well for number 2 atleast, I am going to assume these are taken from MEPS around the country and from in the highschools themselves. If you go to MEPS these days, you don't have a GED because recruiters won't even take the time with you if you do.

[Hunter44]

so your assertion is that back in the glorious past, schools failed out all of the fat and weak kids? (for being fat and/or weak)

I actually never said that. Lots of "fat and weak" (your words not mine) kids passed gym class. All you had to do was get dressed for gym or have a doctors note to be excluded from gym, it was that easy.

Most of the kids who failed either never showed up, which were the burn outs or never got dressed for class. I knew many kids who would have to take gym in summer school... which is pretty stupid. Way to ruin your summer sweating bullets out in the hot July sun. lol

It's no secret that we have an over weight epidemic in this country that's not getting any better, failing a PT test at 18 is pretty pathetic IMO.

[Reic]

Lots of "fat and weak" (your words not mine) kids passed gym class. All you had to do was get dressed for gym or have a doctors note to be excluded from gym, it was that easy.

Most of the kids who failed either never showed up, which were the burn outs or never got dressed for class. I knew many kids who would have to take gym in summer school... which is pretty stupid. Way to ruin your summer sweating bullets out in the hot July sun. lol

It's no secret that we have an over weight epidemic in this country that's not getting any better, failing a PT test at 18 is pretty pathetic IMO.

After I finished my gym classes my 9th and 10th grade years, years 11 and 12 I took advanced gym which was 1 and a half hours a day in the weight room 5 days a week... while everyone in the gym sat around or shot a basketball while they played hip hop music on radios.... We should take military drill instructors and have them teach gym class.

[Hunter44]

But there is no evidence about that? How about Homeschoolers? Its just your opinion that ALL private schools are better then ALL public schools.....

I spend 1 semester at a private school called Harker Prep in the late 80's. It was a fake school. Had a total of 68 students in 4 grades - and the #9 HS basketball program in the country (Because the headmaster would recruit kids, give them scholarships, and keep them a 5th year). In finally went belly up when exposed. Many of those students would fail the test I'm guessing.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1047038.html

So to say that the students that fail MUST have been from a public education is a leap of faith with no evidence.

http://privateschool.about.com/od/choosingaschool/qt/comparison.htm

Differences: The rate of public school students entering college after graduation has fluctuated between 62-67% in recent years. A variety of factors come into play which result in that relatively low matriculation rate. The drop out rate in public schools tends to have a negative effect on matriculation data.

In private schools the matriculation rate is typically in the 90-95% range. Minority students who attend a private high school are more likely to attend college than minority students who attend public school according to NCES data. The reason why most private high schools do well in this area is that they are generally selective. They will only accept students who can do the work.

[Chump Bailey]

I disagree. High School is the real waste of time. Take the GED in 9th or 10th grade and enroll in a university that excepts GEDs. Seriously wish I had done that. IMO a high school diploma is worthless.

Sure, if you're mature enough at that age and want to just go ahead and get on with college/university.

It's all about attitude and environment I think. Kids need to be taught to think 5 to 10 years ahead. Whatever route you take is obviously fine as long as it leads to higher education of some kind. The diploma may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but for most it serves as a good base, assuming of course there were good teachers, school.

[mcsluggo]

http://privateschool.about.com/od/choosingaschool/qt/comparison.htm

Differences: The rate of public school students entering college after graduation has fluctuated between 62-67% in recent years. A variety of factors come into play which result in that relatively low matriculation rate. The drop out rate in public schools tends to have a negative effect on matriculation data.

In private schools the matriculation rate is typically in the 90-95% range. Minority students who attend a private high school are more likely to attend college than minority students who attend public school according to NCES data. The reason why most private high schools do well in this area is that they are generally selective. They will only accept students who can do the work.

the last sentence is THE key one. Private schools cherry pick.

Most select from the most elite of families (with the most achievement oriented parental support structure), and the private schools that DO reach down to less fortunate pupils cherry pick the MOST. Parents and students have to be EXTREMELY motivated to take advantage of scarce opportunities for low-income support, and have the biggest self-selection bias of all.

as a society we HAVE to educate ALL students as best we can, regardless of how much much their parents may suck (or, arguably, EVEN MORE SO in the case of students whose parents genuinely suck). Private schools take on the easiest portion of the general population, which both scews their statisitics up, and scews public school's statistics down--- doubly inflating the difference between the two.

My kids are in public school in McLean, VA. Guess what....? their public school education is great. Is anyone surprised?? PTA meetings are packed. Parent volunteers for school support abound ... which is mostly just a directly observable proxy for the important fact that parents generally take an active role in their kids' schooling, and are supportive of teh education process at home.

[twa]

neither. In the end i am saying that the bottom 25% of the population is not very bright... it shouldn't be very surprising when that is demonstrated.

But it is not be the bottom 25%

The test is only given for eleventh grade and up,which leaves out a number

For those select few with a GED there is a higher minimum score required

[Hunter44]

@ Mc I totally agree with you. I made an earlier point about success in school starting at the home which I fully believe in.

[Forehead]

1 in 4 may fail this exam, but all of you fail in helping me get around the login/e-mail procedures so I can take the test, thus providing an informed opinion as to how difficult it is.

[TMK9973]

1 in 4 may fail this exam, but all of you fail in helping me get around the login/e-mail procedures so I can take the test, thus providing an informed opinion as to how difficult it is.

I filled out with fake info and then after my name and such, when it took me to the screen to log in, I just clicked "Start test" on the left.

[twa]

I filled out with fake info and then after my name and such, when it took me to the screen to log in, I just clicked "Start test" on the left.

Maybe that was the 1st problem?

If ya can't get past the sign in ya are in the 25%:pokeye::gap:

[Koolblue13]

I graduated from one of the better schools in PA, with a kid who couldn't point to land on a map.

[Forehead]

I filled out with fake info and then after my name and such, when it took me to the screen to log in, I just clicked "Start test" on the left.

Maybe that was the 1st problem?

If ya can't get past the sign in ya are in the 25%:pokeye::gap:

I get a screen with "refer a friend" e-mail lines, as well as links to start a test. But when I click on one of those links, it takes me to a member Login screen.