Tryout Results 2018

Post date: Sep 18, 2017 2:41:20 AM

We held tryouts for the 2018 team on Wednesday and Thursday. While the team won't be announced until Monday, we have finished grading the tests and compiled them all.

For background, the test this year had 65 multiple-choice questions and 15 short-answer questions. Questions were divided evenly across the five Quick Recall subject areas (thirteen multiple-choice and three short-answer questions per subject). The multiple-choice test had one question from each of the KAAC content areas. I read the short-answer questions to the group and the students had ten seconds per question to write down an answer, and then had 45 minutes to complete the remaining 65 multiple-choice questions.

The high score was 55/80 with an average of 30/80 and a median of 27/80, meaning half of the students scored higher than 27 and half less than 27.

The high score of 55 or the average/median scores of 30/27 might seem low, but this is a challenging exam! We had a handful of adults take the exam (and they used calculators which the students were not allowed to do) and none of them outscored the high of 55! It also seems like this year's tryout test was harder than last year's as the high score, average, and median scores were all 4 points lower across the board this year.

This year's highest scoring subject area was Arts & Humanities with an average score of 7.25/16, while Science was the lowest scoring subject area at 5.31/16. Science seems to alternate between the highest scoring subject area during odd numbered years and the lowest scoring subject in even numbered years for some reason.

The least-missed question was multiple-choice question #19, with 32/36 students answering correctly:

Q: In various Aesop fables, what kind of animal uses a goat to escape from a well, tricks a crow out of a piece of cheese, and attempts to reach a bunch of grapes?

A: Fox

The most-missed question was a short-answer question, with exactly zero students answering correctly:

Q: Real Madrid wins about 3 out of every 5 games. As a fraction, what is the probability that Real Madrid will win two games in a row?

A: 9/25

We're going to have to work on our probability it seems! Remember, the probability that two (or more) independent events occur is their individual probabilities multiplied together. The probability of winning Game 1 is 3/5 and the probability of winning Game 2 is 3/5, so the probability that both games result in a win is 3/5 x 3/5 = 9/25.

We had more girls try out this year than boys (22 vs 14) which I believe has been true every year since I've started coaching. Boys slightly edged girls out on average score this year, which I believe is a first for me.

The question with the largest gap between boys and girls (in favor of boys was):

Q: When two waves travelling through the same medium meet, one of two possible outcomes will occur: The waves merge, or they cancel out. These situations would respectively be called constructive or destructive. What is this phenomenon of wave behavior known as?

A: Interference

And the question with the largest gap in favor of the girls:

Q: This talented pop music singer has become a role model for many young women. She has been involved in the National and Nashville Area Red Cross Disaster Relief Funds. What singer of 2017’s “Look What You Made Me Do” works to protect women and young girls from online predators?

A: Taylor Swift

A question about literary genre had the same wrong answer given more often than any other. Twenty-two students answered 'science fiction' instead of myth:

Q: Which literary genre below often explains a natural mystery, such as Earth’s creation?

A: Myth

Finally, question 25 had students matching types of sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative) with an example sentence. 92% of the students who made this year's team got this correct, contrasted with only 21% of the students who didn't make the team, There were actually a handful of questions where the students who didn't make the team outperformed those that did, such as:

Q: What property is illustrated in the following equation: a(b + c) = ab+ ac?

A: Distributive

The students that didn't quite make this year's team did 30% better than those that did on this one. This just goes to show how smart all of our Brandeis Bears are!

I want to congratulate all of the students who tried out this year. To those who made the team, I'm looking forward to what you'll achieve this year! To those who didn't, know that you did awesome and keep at it! There's always next year!