Are you smarter than an NFL quarterback?

[RJM62]

This sample quiz in the Christian Science Monitor is based on a test given to all new NFL quarterbacks. I scored 100 percent on it -- proof attached -- which you'll realize is no great achievement once you actually take the quiz.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Sports/2011/0104/Are-you-smarter-than-an-NFL-quarterback-Take-the-quiz/

Considering that most (if not all) NFL quarterbacks are college-educated, I find their scores (published in the article) to be rather depressing. The test I took to get into high school was more challenging than this one.

-Rich

 

[PPC1052]

100% .

 

[DaleB]

Here's a hint: If you don't score 100% on that test, you should probably just keep quiet about it.

 

[JB1842]

Considering that most (if not all) NFL quarterbacks are college-educated, I find their scores (published in the article) to be rather depressing. The test I took to get into high school was more challenging than this one.

-Rich

Just because they went to college doesn't mean they are "college-educated". I got an 85% .

 

[Norman]

I will admit to missing one, but it was because i was quickly doing the numbers in my head and I'm not as sharp as I was in high school.

Sad to realize these guys had college educations and posted such low scores. It doesn't say much for today's education system. Now, the all knowing feds want to further dumb down our students by using 'common core'.

 

[frfly172]

We can all be smarter,but richer.

 

[N747JB]

Just because they went to college doesn't mean they are "college-educated". I got an 85% .

Having met and spoken with Michael Vick a few times, let's use the term "attended college" vs college educated. The man could barely make a coherent sentence.

 

[48dodge]

I had several football players in some of my classes. I only saw some of them the first day and the final exam. Some actually worked hard in class and had access to the best tutors.

 

[Geico266]

Here's a hint: If you don't score 100% on that test, you should probably just keep quiet about it.

Hey! I was having a bad morning.

 

[Bob Noel]

Hey! I was having a bad morning.

Just use the excuse the Toronto mayor used...

 

[Geico266]

Just use the excuse the Toronto mayor used...

Now you know why I was having a bad morning!!

 

[SkyHog]

I got one wrong - Credit and Credence appeared to be totally different words to me. of course, since its a faith based site, I didn't consider the alternate meaning of credit.

 

[Norman]

I got one wrong - Credit and Credence appeared to be totally different words to me. of course, since its a faith based site, I didn't consider the alternate meaning of credit.

I think credibility may have been a better word than credit.

These days you don't even need a job to get credit.

 

[docmirror]

I got one wrong - Credit and Credence appeared to be totally different words to me. of course, since its a faith based site, I didn't consider the alternate meaning of credit.

You are right, CSM is wrong.

Credit is not a synonym for credence and vice versa.

 

[PPC1052]

You are right, CSM is wrong.

Credit is not a synonym for credence and vice versa.

The question did not ask if they were synonyms.

 

[RJM62]

The question did not ask if they were synonyms.

Nor did CSM write the quiz.

-Rich

 

[Clark1961]

Having met and spoken with Michael Vick a few times, let's use the term "attended college" vs college educated. The man could barely make a coherent sentence.

Yabut he's a dog lover so it's okay...

 

[docmirror]

The question did not ask if they were synonyms.

The taxonomy of the question was a precisely a synonym. Just because it didn't use the term, doesn't mean that isn't what they were looking for.

 

[docmirror]

Nor did CSM write the quiz.

-Rich

Yup. Written by the NFL. My bad...

 

[Jim Logajan]

The question did not ask if they were synonyms.

I don't recall an option that said "they share similar meanings," just "they have similar meanings," or something to that effect. Maybe the author of the question believes "have" and "share" 'have' similar meanings? Ironic.

Still, I think we should give the question writer's credence where credence is due. Surely when you give someone credit or when you give someone credence you are giving them the same thing? In the great ledger of life, when you tally up your debits and credences[1], these similarities all balance out, right?

I'm just glad they aren't asking people to enter their Credence Card numbers to take the test.

[1] The Mozilla dictionary doesn't recognize a plural for credence, but does for credits.

 

[us AAirways]

Obama took it and scored a zero.

 

[PPC1052]

The taxonomy of the question was a precisely a synonym. Just because it didn't use the term, doesn't mean that isn't what they were looking for.

I went back and looked again. You're probably right. My recollection was hazy.

 

[Ken Ibold]

I had several football players in some of my classes. I only saw some of them the first day and the final exam. Some actually worked hard in class and had access to the best tutors.

My daughter is a student athlete on scholarship at USC. The athletic department actually does work hard to help the athletes balance school vs team commitments. And I don't mean the cynical "grad students take the exams for you." I'm talking about required tutoring sessions, meetings with counselors regarding organization and time management, that kind of thing.

 

[denverpilot]

100%. Yawn. From my phone. In a parking lot. Eating a sandwich.

 

[MultiMediaWill]

than an NFL quarterback...

It looks like Mr. Hillbilly isn't so smart after all...

 

[EdFred]

than an NFL quarterback...

It looks like Mr. Hillbilly isn't so smart after all...

The a/an isn't solely based on the letter the proceeding words starts with, it is based on whether it is a consonant or vowel sound. Unless you pronounce it "NIFFEL" it is correct to use an, because the proceeding sound is "en" as in, "Joe is entering an endurance race."

For the record, the Wonderlic test given to NFL players is not designed by the NFL, is around 50 questions, timed, and there are some ambiguous (or at least up for debate on what's correct) answers on a few of the questions.

 

[masloki]

Oh, I think all of us fail (myself included) for not spotting that it is a link-bait article with 26+ pages to click-through that drives up their ad impressions. Come on, one question per page, is bad enough, but another page just to show I got the answer right...sheesh.

 

[AirDC]

I got 100%. But not sure if I did it in three minutes between closing ads and the really annoying page load times.

 

[MultiMediaWill]

The a/an isn't solely based on the letter the proceeding words starts with, it is based on whether it is a consonant or vowel sound. Unless you pronounce it "NIFFEL" it is correct to use an, because the proceeding sound is "en" as in, "Joe is entering an endurance race."

For the record, the Wonderlic test given to NFL players is not designed by the NFL, is around 50 questions, timed, and there are some ambiguous (or at least up for debate on what's correct) answers on a few of the questions.

I say it 'National Football League' so a is used not an.

 

[EdFred]

I say it 'National Football League' so a is used not an.

Had Rich written National Football League, then you'd have a case. But it was written NFL - en ef el. All vowel sounds at the beginning. Rich was correct. I'm sure you say the full name of NBC CBS ABC CNN MSNBC NRA AFL-CIO UAW PTA FDA AT TRSA, et al too.

 

[poadeleted20]

If the quarterback in question is Dr. Frank Ryan, PhD in Math (Rice University), formerly of the Cleveland Browns, maybe not -- I haven't the foggiest idea what a function holomorphic in the unit disc is, no less how to characterize a set of asymptotic values of it, but he's an expert on it. For an aviation connection, Dr. Ryan was on the Board of Directors of America West Airlines for some time starting in 1995.

Otherwise...

 

[Concorde]

Don't mean to be funny but there maybe a connection between the bad test result and all the hard hits they receive while in NFL .

 

[denverpilot]

Don't mean to be funny but there maybe a connection between the bad test result and all the hard hits they receive while in NFL .

Actually it's a pretty serious topic. It just cost the league a lot of money to keep most of it out of the press.

 

[EdFred]

Don't mean to be funny but there maybe a connection between the bad test result and all the hard hits they receive while in NFL .

The tests are taken prior to taking hits in the NFL.

 

[denverpilot]

The tests are taken prior to taking hits in the NFL.

Great. So they get stupider?

Hooray NCAA.

 

[EdFred]

Great. So they get stupider?

Hooray NCAA.

Like I said before there are debatable questions on the test that can prevent people from getting a perfect score. One question I've see is "pick the one that is different from the rest" and you were shown a picture of a rectangle, a square, a hexagon and a quadrangle that had one 90 degree angle and two parallel sides - but was not a trapezoid. Imagine a piece of paper cut from the upper right corner to the middle of the left side. Now which one is different? One can argue that 3 of them have 4 sides, while the other has six. However, one can also argue that the square, rectangle, and hexagon all have at least 3 lines of symmetry, while the quadrangle had none. There were also more of the "are these words" question with much more open to interpretation.

So, don't be surprised someone didn't score perfect 50 on a 12 minute 50 question test. These Wonderlic tests aren't just used by the NFL, but a lot of non-sports employers, and not everyone scores perfect.

In fact here's some of the median scores by profession



Systems Analyst – 32
Chemist – 31
Electrical Engineer – 30
Engineer – 29
Programmer – 29
Accountant – 28
Executive – 28
Reporter – 28
Teacher – 28
Copywriter – 27
Investment Analyst – 27
Librarian – 27
Electronics technician – 26
Salesperson – 25
Secretary – 24
Dispatcher – 23
Drafter – 23
Electrician – 23
Nurse – 23
Bank teller – 22
Cashier – 21
Firefighter – 21
General Clerical worker – 21
Machinist – 21
Receptionist – 21
Train Conductor – 21
Skilled Craftsman – 18
Security guard – 17
Welder – 17
Warehouseman – 15
Janitor - 14

 

[Concorde]

The tests are taken prior to taking hits in the NFL.

Are you saying that they were not playing football before NFL ? or getting hit in high school and college doesn't count .

 

[EdFred]

Are you saying that they were not playing football before NFL ? or getting hit in high school and college doesn't count .

I'm saying the hits they take in the NFL as referenced in the post I responded to have nothing to do with the test scores.

 

[Capt.Crash'n'Burn]

I got one wrong - Credit and Credence appeared to be totally different words to me. of course, since its a faith based site, I didn't consider the alternate meaning of credit.

I agree. I got the same one "wrong". In common usage they are not synonyms.

 

[RJM62]

Had Rich written National Football League, then you'd have a case. But it was written NFL - en ef el. All vowel sounds at the beginning. Rich was correct. I'm sure you say the full name of NBC CBS ABC CNN MSNBC NRA AFL-CIO UAW PTA FDA AT TRSA, et al too.

Thanks, Ed.

I was going to explain my choice of "an" as opposed to "a" to Will, but suddenly I was confronted with a higher-priority task that required my attention. The lace on my left shoe had wandered a bit, resulting in the ends no longer being even when held together and simultaneously pulled taut. That needed to be corrected.

-Rich