If you took a quiz on a subject you know nothing about

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Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
68,334
12,562
126
www.anyf.ca
Really depends on how detailed the questions are and how tricky they are.

For example I took a MCSE example test for fun to see how I'd do, and I got like 10%. The questions are very hard and very specific. You NEED to have studied and learned the specific material by heart. General knowledge wont get you anywhere.

But if it's a general knowledge test, then yeah you could probably get 25% or more.
 

davmat787

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2010
5,512
24
76
I'd be more interested in someone developing a quiz on a subject I know about.

1) I am a ______

a: e-thug
b: troll
c: right even when proven wrong countless times
d: professional douchebag
e: all of the above

Correct Answer:
e
 

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
But the quiz was multiple choice format (choose one of four choices), would it stand to reason that you should score around 25% just by guessing?

Assuming the quiz were very long, the choices do not hint at the answer, the choices are equally plausible, you are not overly stupid or intelligent. I have yet to see this magical quiz.
 

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
You'll be able to see how much God loves you. 100% means he thinks you're awesome, and you'll be in heaven for sure. 50% means he doesn't think much of you, but if you keep your mouth shut AND he's in a good mood at the time, he may let you in. <50% means he hates you, and you're going to hell :^D

You are clearly ignorant of the main tenet of Christianity. Everyone gets in.
 

JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
11,809
944
126
I'd be more interested in someone developing a quiz on a subject I know nothing about.

So something along the lines on how to be a decent human being. :p

Sorry it was too easy of a setup to resist.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
1) I am a ______

a: e-thug
b: troll
c: right even when proven wrong countless times
d: professional douchebag
e: all of the above

Correct Answer:
e

I don't see an answer that would be right for me. I agree with the way you answered it for yourself though.
 

amish

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
4,295
6
81
I don't see an answer that would be right for me. I agree with the way you answered it for yourself though.

I'd be more interested in someone developing a quiz on a subject I know nothing about.

mods, enough is enough. alkemyst ruins threads for everyone and tries to do this at every opportunity he has. the sailboat thread is a perfect example.

given more time i'm almost 100% postive that this thread would devolve into a "i'm alkemyst, i'm awesome" and then a dog-pile on alkemyst.

why can't we uphold the rules? he is a cancer that drives people away and does not bring anything positive to the forum.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
mods, enough is enough. alkemyst ruins threads for everyone and tries to do this at every opportunity he has. the sailboat thread is a perfect example.

given more time i'm almost 100% postive that this thread would devolve into a "i'm alkemyst, i'm awesome" and then a dog-pile on alkemyst.

why can't we uphold the rules? he is a cancer that drives people away and does not bring anything positive to the forum.

WTF was wrong with my post?

May want to check yo'self and speak to the others above attacking me.

I'd be surprised getting any kind of lengthy quiz that I had no clue on should not be an issue posting.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
I can make a quiz about danish politics from '73 until now?

Well considering I have worked for one of your ambassadors and been to their home quite a few times even getting to play with their dog (which was gift from your country), I may be a bit up to speed at least some of it. Never claimed to be an expert, but there are few topics I have not spent some time in.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
166
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
You are assuming the answers are of equal probability. They don't need to be. Here is a very easy example quiz on a subject that you know almost nothing about:

I have an Excel document open with one long series of integers (0 through 9, equally but randomly distributed). What is the 100th integer in my document?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) None of the above.

What is the 200th integer?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) None of the above.

Suppose there are 100 questions on this quiz, all with the same answer format. Considering you have no knowledge of my Excel document, would you get at 25% just by guessing? Probably not. Anyone with any reasoning skills would choose option "d" every time and get a ~70% on the quiz. That is since not every option in my quiz is of equal probability to be correct.

Even if you don't know anything about the subject, you probably have enough reason to eliminate some answers. And thus, randomly guessing about the rest should give you above 25%.

While your premise is correct, your example sucks. Presumably you, the test writer, know the answer to that question. You're implying randomness where it really doesn't exist.

It's sort of like the major flaw in the Monty Hall problem - you choose from three doors. Two are losers, and one is a winner. After you make a choice, and before the door is opened, the host shows you the prize behind a losing door - one you did not choose. Should you change your choice of door? Stated this way, the question is unanswerable. I'll explain - let's assume a malevolent game show host who only shows a losing door if the contestant actually picked the winning door on the first try. In this case, everyone changing the door, when giving an opportunity, would lose.
 

Mark R

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,513
16
81
It also depends on the marking scheme.

On most of the multiple-choice tests I've had to do for work, they are negatively marked. So, a correct answer gets +1, omitting to answer a question scores zero; and an incorrect answer scores -1.

Randomly guessing will tend to get you a score of -50%; whereas leaving the paper blank would get you zero.
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
It also depends on the marking scheme.

On most of the multiple-choice tests I've had to do for work, they are negatively marked. So, a correct answer gets +1, omitting to answer a question scores zero; and an incorrect answer scores -1.

Randomly guessing will tend to get you a score of -50%; whereas leaving the paper blank would get you zero.

it also depends on whether or not potatoes would grow in the state.

if potatoes do grow in the state, chances are there is a farming community. this would hint at the average education of the population, and whether or not they may or may not do well on a multiple choice test.
 

OverVolt

Lifer
Aug 31, 2002
14,278
89
91
I have had multiple choice tests such as:

A
B
C
D

all normal answers

E, both A and C
F both B and C
G None of these

and you basically just have to flat out know the answer.
 

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
2
81
I'd be more interested in someone developing a quiz on a subject I know nothing about.

Easy. Just look at the test for a subject you didn't major in. You might get some weird ass question like
Cellulose can be converted to nitrocellulose by putting cellulose in a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid. What type of reaction is this?
A - neucleophillic addition
B - electrophillic substitution
C - Grignard reaction
D - none of the above

Most college tests are written in such a way that you can't tell what it's asking unless you know something about the course.
 
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MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
1,594
126
And then you have my Geology prof who took off points for incorrect answers. A brand new situation occurs when it's possible to have a negative score.